Weather in Iceland in December

What is the weather in Iceland right now?

Live Open-Meteo readings for our reference towns, fetched at render. The full live board — roads, alerts, aurora, webcams — is Iceland Pulse.

December in Reykjavík — the whole table

Two rows define the month: 12.6 sunshine hours — not per day, for the month — and 94.9 mm, the table’s wettest. December is dim and damp by declaration, which is precisely why its plans should be built around pools, lights and sky — the full-year table shows how singular that combination is.

How much daylight does December have?

Computed, not copied — sunrise and sunset for 2026 at Reykjavík’s own coordinates (64.15, -21.94), NOAA solar algorithm. Read the 21st — the solstice, the year’s shortest day — then read the 31st: already longer. December contains the turn; the light starts back before the fireworks do. The twenty-hour nights meanwhile belong to the aurora forecast.

How cold is Iceland in December, really?

Milder than the map implies — the honest surprise of the Icelandic winter. The North Atlantic current holds Reykjavík’s December normals at −1.6°C to 3.3°C, gentler than many cities far to the south. What makes it FEEL arctic is the wind, and what makes it dangerous is the freeze-thaw glaze on pavements and tarmac — the photo’s black road turns black-ice road overnight. The winter-driving guide and the live route verdicts carry that discipline.

The record row keeps everyone honest: −16.8°C has happened, on still clear nights when the ocean’s protection stands down. For the month’s soul — Yule Lads, solstice, fireworks — the December pillar takes over, and January continues the light’s return.