Canada
Vancouver in December
🧥 WinterCold and often rainy.
🎒 Pack: warm jacket for evenings · compact umbrella or rain jacket
Why December scores 7.4What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort5.8
- !Cold (7°C highs / 3°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point -1.1°C)
- !Wet: ~200 mm rain, ~7 heavy-rain days
- Air quality8.9
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~12 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards9.5
- !Flood: ~7 heavy-rain days in an average December
- Safety baseline8.5
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | Jul | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.4 Good | 9.5 Excellent |
| Season | 🧥 Winter | ☀️ Summer |
| High / low | 7° / 3° | 23° / 15° |
| Rain | 200 mm | 44 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt -1° | dew pt 14° |
| PM2.5 | 12 µg/m³ | 13 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Vancouver Burrard Inlet weather-station normals. Rainfall: Burrard Inlet weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Christmas Day 25–27 Dec · 3 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore VancouverEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA coastal city in British Columbia, Canada, surrounded by mountains and ocean, known for Stanley Park, outdoor activities and Asian-influenced food.
Ski seasonDate variesUsually December to March
Local mountains offer skiing close to the city.
Why go: The city itself mostly gets rain rather than snow.
Where: Grouse, Cypress and Seymour mountains; Whistler 2 hours away
Coming up later
Cherry blossomsDate variesUsually late March to April
Thousands of ornamental cherry trees bloom.
Why go: The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival publishes bloom maps.
Where: Streets and parks across the city
Celebration of LightDate variesUsually late July to early August
A fireworks competition over English Bay.
Why go: Crowds are very large and roads close nearby.
Where: English Bay
Canada DayEvery year1 July every year
Canada's national day with celebrations.
Why go: It is a public holiday.
Where: Canada Place and across the city
Stanley Park
A large forested park with a seawall path for walking and cycling.
Granville Island
A former industrial area with a public market, artisan shops and theatres.
Capilano Suspension Bridge
A suspension bridge over a canyon in North Vancouver.
Grouse Mountain
A mountain reached by gondola with hiking in summer and skiing in winter.
💡 The Grouse Grind trail is usually closed in winter.
Gastown
The historic district with a steam-powered clock.
Museum of Anthropology at UBC
Known for its Northwest Coast First Nations art and totem poles.
Pacific salmon
Wild salmon, often smoked or grilled.
💡 Seafood restaurants and Granville Island Public Market
Japanese and Chinese food
Vancouver is known for sushi and Cantonese dim sum.
💡 Richmond and downtown
Nanaimo bars
A no-bake layered dessert from British Columbia.
💡 Bakeries and cafés
Spot prawns
Local prawns in a short season.
💡 False Creek Fishermen's Wharf, usually May to June
Smoked salmon
Packaged wild BC smoked salmon.
💡 Granville Island and airport shops
First Nations art
Prints, carvings and jewellery by Northwest Coast artists.
💡 Galleries in Gastown and museum shops
Maple products
Maple syrup and maple candy.
💡 Souvenir shops