Weather in Launceston in December

Prime time. December is about as good as Launceston gets. Highs average 22.6 °C, lows 10.2 °C, and rain falls on 10 days — nothing in the month is working against you.

December ranks 4 of 12 in Launceston: past the worst of the year but short of January, which is the month to book if the dates are open.

Rain on 10 days, 2 of them heavy. Enough to need a plan B, not enough to need a plan around it. Nothing specialised needed — this is the month you pack for the trip rather than for the weather.

What the averages hide

The averages here are honest — no hidden extremes worth planning around. Across the twenty years measured, the hottest December day reached 34.9 °C and the coldest night fell to 3.7 °C, and the wettest single day dropped 50 mm — roughly 79% of the month's rain in one day.

December is statistically steady but not small: the year-to-year variation is modest in relative terms, yet the wettest December on record still delivered 118 mm against 23 mm in the driest. In a month this wet, even a tame spread is a lot of rain in absolute terms — the 63 mm average is a reasonable planning figure, not a promise.

Wind is light at 10 km/h, so the temperature on the page is close to the temperature on your skin, and humidity is unremarkable at 70%.

How December sits in the year

The month is on the way up: 2.4 °C warmer than November, and January adds another 3.3 °C. Late in the month feels noticeably different from the start of it, which is worth knowing if the trip is short.

Daylight in December

December is at or near the longest days of Launceston's year: 15.1 hours of daylight, holding steady all month. Evenings are the real gain — dinner outdoors still happens in full light.

Sea temperature

The sea sits at about 15.8 °C in December — cold — a quick dip rather than a swim, and a wetsuit if you are in for longer. The sea peaks at 18.3 °C in February and bottoms out at 12.5 °C — water lags the air by a month or two, which is why the best swimming often comes after the best weather.

How busy it gets

Peak season. Expect the highest prices of the year and to be booking well ahead.

Crowd levels are estimated from climate desirability and school-holiday calendars, not from visitor numbers.

December in Launceston versus nearby

If Launceston is one option among several, the nearby comparison is worth making. Devonport is close enough to be a coin toss — 5.1 °C cooler, 1 day less rain. Burnie is the weaker option in December — 4.6 °C cooler, 2 days more rain.

So: December works, with January the better month by 7 points if the dates can move. If they cannot, nothing here should stop you booking.

Every month in Launceston

See all twelve months in Launceston, or where else to go in December.