When to go · Adelaide
Adelaide in December
Mixed month. Outside the best window (Mar–May, Sep–Nov). Across Australia: Summer holidays begin; bushfire risk and heatwaves in the south, wet season in the north; book everything early.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 26°C (79°F)79°F (26°C) / 15°C (59°F)59°F (15°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 7
- Crowds
- High
- Australia overall
- Prices
- High
- Australia overall
Verdict
Outside the best window (Mar–May, Sep–Nov). Across Australia: Summer holidays begin; bushfire risk and heatwaves in the south, wet season in the north; book everything early.
Is another month better than December?
December is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in December
- AdelaideHighs around 26 °C (79 °F), lows around 15 °C (59 °F), rain on about 7 daysHighs around 79 °F (26 °C), lows around 59 °F (15 °C), rain on about 7 days
- South-east coast, Australia · Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaidebest weather
Summer is beach season and school-holiday peak; Melbourne swings between cool and 40 °C (104 °F) in a day. Winter is mild and sunny in Sydney, grey and cool in Melbourne.Summer is beach season and school-holiday peak; Melbourne swings between cool and 104 °F (40 °C) in a day. Winter is mild and sunny in Sydney, grey and cool in Melbourne.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
New Year big impact
31 Dec – 1 Jan · Australia
Sydney Harbour fireworks: vantage points ticketed or claimed from morning; beds book out months ahead.
Summer school holidays big impact
Mid-Dec to late Jan · Australia
Coast, campsites, ferries and Tasmania fill; prices peak.
Christmas and Boxing Day big impact
25–26 December · Australia
Shops closed on Christmas Day; Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the Sydney–Hobart yacht race start.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Australia overall
- High
- Prices · Australia overall
- High
Australia overall: Summer holidays begin; bushfire risk and heatwaves in the south, wet season in the north; book everything early.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Adelaide, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Mixed
Mar: Great (better)
Daytime high
Dec: 26 °C (79 °F)79 °F (26 °C)
Mar: 26 °C (79 °F)79 °F (26 °C)
Night low
Dec: 15 °C (59 °F)59 °F (15 °C)
Mar: 15 °C (59 °F)59 °F (15 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 7
Mar: 6 (better)
Crowds
Dec: High
Mar: Medium
Prices
Dec: High
Mar: Medium
Festivals listed
Dec: 3
Mar: 1
December: Outside the best window (Mar–May, Sep–Nov). Across Australia: Summer holidays begin; bushfire risk and heatwaves in the south, wet season in the north; book everything early.
March: Inside Adelaide's best window: Mar–May, Sep–Nov.
Adelaide: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
Nothing unusual for the weather this month.