How cold is Iceland in December really?

Are you wondering how cold Iceland is in December?

Then this article is for you!

We’ll go over everything you need to know about how cold it can get in December.

So let’s get to it!

Quick overview

🌡 Average temperatures: Highs around 2–3°C (36–37°F), lows around -3°C (27°F).

💨 Feels colder because of strong winds and storms.

❄️ Expect rain, sleet, snow, and icy conditions.

🌌 Very short days (4–5 hours daylight), but long nights = excellent Northern Lights chances.

👕 What to wear: base thermals, warm mid-layers, waterproof/windproof coat, insulated boots, hat, gloves.

🧥 Don’t want to pack bulky gear? You can rent outdoor clothing in Reykjavik with IcelandCover.

How Cold is Iceland in December?

Two people wearing a warm coat in Iceland in December

December is proper cold for sure…just not on paper.

The average highs reach around 2–3°C (36–37°F) and the lows dance around -3°C (27°F).

So if you only look at that, many of you might think.

‘That’s not too bad’

And that’s where a lot of people fail the test.

Since it’ll be windy we can lower the temperature by few degrees, so it’ll feel below freezing.

BUT! And here’s the kicker.

It’s technically above freezing, so it can rain as well.

So it’ll feel like –2, but it’ll be raining at the same time! Making it feel even colder!

Just wonderful!

So it’s important not to be fooled by the temperature you see and to be prepared for the wind and the rain, as well as the snow and cold.

Weather warnings

A man in a winter jacket from IcelandCover during a weather warning

Since we’re in winter, you can definitely expect weather warnings.

Yellow – super windy, be careful, but you might not have to cancel your daily excursion. Some tours will operate, some might not. Some roads might be closed, some might not.

Orange – Extremely windy, do not drive. Tours will be canceled and roads closed.

Red – very dangerous, stay in town and do not drive. Everything is cancelled.

I would say you should expect at least 3 yellow warnings and maybe 1 orange/yellow.

Of course you can never be sure, but generally, we’ll have a few storms each month during the winter months.

Daylight

We’ve got short days so you can forget about the sun helping you.

Daylight is just 4–5 hours per day around the winter solstice which is the 21^st of December.

So about 2 weeks before that, and 2 weeks after, the sun basically rises at around 10:30 am and sets around 14:30.

What to Wear in Iceland in December

People wearing winter coats from IcelandCover in December

Now, to enjoy your time in Iceland, you’ll need to wear good clothes.

Here is a brief overview.

Base layer

Merino wool thermal underwear

Mid layer

Fleece sweater

Outer layer

Winter parka

Good boots

Outdoor pants

Other

Beanie

Thick gloves

Neck gaiter

Balaclava

Hand and feet warmers

We’ve written an article about what to wear in December, check it out for more detail.

And it doesn’t matter if it’s a city walk or if you‘re doing a daily excursion. You need to wear good clothes if you want to enjoy Iceland in December.