China - weather in December

December is the first winter month in China. In general, it is a cold but dry month in the north and in Tibet, mild and a little rainier in the south.
Given the size of the country, the average temperatures vary greatly: they are below freezing in the north-west, in Xinjiang, largely occupied by desert plateaus (see Ürümqi, Kashgar), and even more in the north-east, in Manchuria, influenced by Siberian air masses (see Tahe, Harbin).
In Beijing it is often very cold, and an icy wind blows from the Mongolian desert.
In the central area (see Shanghai, Wuhan, Chongqing), the temperatures are relatively mild, and the rains are a little more frequent than in the north.
In the west, on the Tibetan plateau (see Lhasa), it is sunny during the day, but at night the temperature drops several degrees below freezing. Also, a strong wind can blow.
In the southwest, in the mountains of Yunnan (see Kunming), the days are mild and often sunny, but it gets cold at night.
In the center-south, temperatures are mild, and in the south, in Guangdong and Guangxi, the daily average exceeds 17 °C (63 °F) on the coasts south of the Tropic.
In the extreme south, on the island of Hainan, where the climate is tropical, the average temperature is 20 °C (68 °F) on the north coast (see Haikou), and even 23 °C (73 °F) on the southern coast (see Sanya).
In winter, cold spells can occur in China, during which the temperature can drop to -30 °C (-22 °F) or even below in the north-east and north-west, and to -15 °C (5 °F) in Beijing, while in the center, in Shanghai it can drop a few degrees below freezing and it can snow. On the southern coast (see Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong), some days can be a bit cold and windy, but the temperature never drops below freezing.
Winter in China is the driest season, and December is the driest month of the year on average. Precipitation is very rare in the north, where it occurs in the form of snow (generally light), while in the center-south it is a little more frequent. The rainiest area is in the east (see Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanchang), but it is difficult to find a city where more than 50 mm (2 in) per month fall.
China is located at medium latitudes, however, in December the days are quite short in the northern part, where the sun stays above the horizon for less than 10 hours on average. December 21 is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which is to say, the day with the least hours of daylight of the whole year.

The sea is warm enough for swimming only in the southernmost part, i.e. on the coast of Guangxi, southwest Guangdong and Hainan Island.

The following tables show the climate averages in the month of December in China in a selection of locations.

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Monthly climate averages - December

(from north to south)
























See also: China, the weather in November - January
The climate of China