Algiers Weather in December

In December, the early winter, one may feel a bit chilly in Algiers, but no bitterly cold even at night. Algiers weather in December is rather rainy as the precipitation hit the highest point in a year. It even snows lightly in the mountain areas in some years. Sometimes, the wind blows heavily. What’s worse, December sees the yearly shortest daylength, making the sightseeing time far from sufficient. In conclusion, December is not a good time to visit Algiers.

Chilly Daytime, Cold Night

Chilly Algiers in December

High temperatures in December tend to fluctuate between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius (59 - 66 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, bringing a chill feeling; on occasions, daily highs around 22℃ (℉) appear, usually in early December since the gentle southwest winds offer temporary coziness.

While, in early morning and late evening, the values usually stay between 12 and 16℃ (54 - 61℉), an acceptable level even for those who are sensitive to coldness; in some years, the low temperatures may decrease to the cold range of 6 - 8℃ (43 - 46℉) by the late half month. To summarize, Algiers climate in December sees chill of different degrees, but no suffering with appropriate clothes.

Rainiest Month of the Year

Snow-peaked Mountains in Suburbs

December receives the yearly most precipitation, reaching 103 mm (4.06 in) distributed over 11 days on average. Frequent rainfall together with moisture from the Mediterranean contribute to the highest humidity in a year, averaging 78%, The rainy and humid weather of Algiers in December not only lowers the perceived temperature but also brings unpleasant dampness. Your fluffy hairstyle may get flat after merely a half day. 

The high precipitation could fall in multiple forms such as light drizzles and moderate showers which are most seen as well as occasional heavy rain. It may rain intermittently for several consecutive days or keep raining without stop for the whole day, which though is seldom. Good news is that you are likely to see rainbows in those days when clear and rainy periods alternate frequently; even if you lack certain luck, the high color saturation after rain makes the views more attractive. Very rarely, it snows, but constricted to mountain areas in high elevation. 

Shortest Daytime of the Year with Gentle Sunshine

Throughout December, the sun rises late at around 7:40 - 8:00 but set early at 17:30 - 17:40, thus creating a daylight duration less than 10 hours, the shortest range of the year. Around December 20, the daytime drops to the yearly shortest of around 9h40m. In general, the daylength is not ample for you to visit three or more attractions in a day. 

In terms of sunlight duration, there are only about 6 sunny hours on average per day in December, mainly because overcast and rainy days account for about half of the month, though complete sunny days are possible. Luckily, instead of strong and dazzling, sunshine in winter is actually gentle with a quite low UV index of merely 2. When strolling through the alleys of Kasbah Old District in sunny days, it is not necessary to use sunscreen products. 

Is December a Good Time to Visit Algiers?

Street Views in Gloomy Days

To be honest, it is not a good choice to visit Algiers in December. The changeable weather brings a lot of uncertainties to the journey, such as large disruptions of rainfall on your travel schedule, less appealing views in gloomy days as well as troubles from occasional strong winds. Influenced by these factors, the already insufficient sightseeing time becomes less available, indicating that visitors might need to speed up somehow to cover all the planned visit. Besides, in this chilly month with the average sea temperatures of only around 17℃ (63℉), few water activities are provided not to mention close touch with the sea like swimming. 

Packing Lists for Algiers Trip in December

Clothes: It is proper to wear bottoming shirts with hoodies or knit wear at sunny middays and put on a thick coat like trench coat even woolen coat when staying outdoors in early morning and late evening. 3-in-1 windbreakers are also strongly advised since they are somewhat rainproof and its thickness can be easily adjusted. As for the bottoms, thick sweatpants, jeans and jacket pants are usually warm enough in December.

Shoes: You are suggested to wear non-slip shoes to deal with commonly wet roads in rainiest December, of which waterproof sneakers and walking boots are good choices. Also, disposable rainproof shoe covers or rain boots could be prepared. Shoes of dark colors are more advisable since light-colored ones get polluted easily in rainy days.

Others: Umbrella is definitely necessary to cope with frequent rain, but raincoat is good choices for drizzles since it frees your hands to do other things. Besides, normal hats like baseball caps work well to prevent headache caused by winds and scarves could provide more warmth.

Travel Tips and Recommendations for Algiers in December

Traditional Local Food

1. In consideration of the unstable weather of Algiers in December, it is necessary to monitor weather forecast closely and arrange your daily schedule accordingly. In rainy days, it is suggested to primarily visit indoor attractions such as Great Mosques of Algiers and National Museum of Fine Arts. If it rains heavily accompanied by strong winds, just take a rest in the hotel and choose a local restaurant nearby to enjoy the characteristic cuisines like Couscous and Rechta.

2. It should be noted that due to high humidity and frequent rainfall, your clothes might fail to get dry timely. Therefore, you had better book hotels with clothes dryers; if it’s difficult to find one or your accommodation has been settled down, bring more for change. 

3. When it snows, it’s a good opportunity to appreciate snow scenery rarely seen in this African city, but the sightseeing locations most lie in the outer suburbs, far from the downtown. If you have enough time, Tikjda and Chréa are good destinations to enjoy snow views, which takes about 2-hour drive to arrive at. But be sure to wear thick winter clothes.