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°C21°F / −12°C10°F
- 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).
Weather in December
- LongyearbyenHighs around -6 °C, lows around -12 °C, rain on about 24 daysHighs around 21 °F, lows around 10 °F, 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.
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