When to go · Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen in December
Avoid month. Listed as a month to avoid: Late Oct–mid Feb (polar night, most boat and many tours closed).
Key facts
- Verdict
- Avoid
- Temperature
- −6°C (21°F)21°F (−6°C) / −12°C (10°F)10°F (−12°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 24
- Crowds
- Medium
- Norway overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Norway overall
Verdict
Listed as a month to avoid: Late Oct–mid Feb (polar night, most boat and many tours closed).
Is another month better than December?
December is rated avoid. These months rate higher:
- MarchGreatInside Longyearbyen's best window: Mar–May (snow, auroras, snowmobile season) and Jun–Aug (midnight sun, boat trips).
- AprilGreatInside Longyearbyen's best window: Mar–May (snow, auroras, snowmobile season) and Jun–Aug (midnight sun, boat trips).
- MayGreatInside Longyearbyen's best window: Mar–May (snow, auroras, snowmobile season) and Jun–Aug (midnight sun, boat trips).
- JuneGreatInside Longyearbyen's best window: Mar–May (snow, auroras, snowmobile season) and Jun–Aug (midnight sun, boat trips).
Weather in December
- LongyearbyenHighs around -6 °C (21 °F), lows around -12 °C (10 °F), rain on about 24 daysHighs around 21 °F (-6 °C), lows around 10 °F (-12 °C), rain on about 24 days
- Svalbard, Norway · Longyearbyencool
High Arctic: polar night late October to mid-February (true darkness mid-Nov to end of Jan); midnight sun about 20 April – 23 August. Snowmobile season March–May.
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.
Christmas big impact
24–26 Dec · Norway
Christmas Eve afternoon onwards everything closes; restaurants shut 24–25 Dec.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Norway overall
- Medium
- Prices · Norway overall
- Medium
Norway overall: Christmas markets in Oslo and Bergen; polar night and auroras in the north; closures 24–26 Dec.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Longyearbyen, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Avoid
Mar: Great (better)
Daytime high
Dec: -6 °C (21 °F)21 °F (-6 °C)
Mar: -9 °C (16 °F)16 °F (-9 °C)
Night low
Dec: -12 °C (10 °F)10 °F (-12 °C)
Mar: -16 °C (3 °F)3 °F (-16 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 24
Mar: 16 (better)
Crowds
Dec: Medium
Mar: Medium
Prices
Dec: Medium
Mar: Medium
Festivals listed
Dec: 1
Mar: 1
December: Listed as a month to avoid: Late Oct–mid Feb (polar night, most boat and many tours closed).
March: Inside Longyearbyen's best window: Mar–May (snow, auroras, snowmobile season) and Jun–Aug (midnight sun, boat trips).
Longyearbyen: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket