The sun sets at around 4.15 pm, soon afterwards the huts light up at Mirabellplatz, and the warmth often goes with the sun. Salzburg weather in December is cold but rarely extreme: on average around 4 °C during the day and around −2 °C at night. We at the Salzburg Christmas market at Mirabellplatz have put together the climate data from 30 years, plus what to wear for an evening at the market.
What’s the weather like in Salzburg in December? In December, Salzburg reaches around 4 °C (39 °F) on average during the day, and at night the temperature drops to around −2 °C (28 °F) on average. There’s snow on the ground on around 10 days, and it rains or snows on about as many days. These figures are averages for the years 1991 to 2020; the weather on individual days can differ a lot.
Opening hours and directions to our market are further down.
Salzburg weather in December: 30 years of data
Measurements from GeoSphere Austria (Salzburg Airport station, 1991–2020 average, our own analysis):
| Value | December average |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | 4.3 °C (40 °F) |
| Night-time low | −2.1 °C (28 °F) |
| Monthly mean | 0.7 °C (33 °F) |
| Days with frost | 20 |
| Days with at least 1 mm of precipitation | just under 11 |
| Days with snow on the ground | 10 (between 0 and 29, depending on the year) |
| Hours of sunshine in the month | around 71 (Salzburg-Freisaal station) |
These are averages, not a forecast. Check the weather forecast shortly before your visit.
Snow and a white Christmas in Salzburg
Sometimes, but it’s not guaranteed. On average there’s snow on the ground on around 10 days in December – in some years not at all, in others almost the whole month. A white Christmas is rare: on 24 December there was snow on the ground at the Salzburg Airport weather station in 9 of 30 years (1991–2020), most recently in 2010.
What to wear for an evening at the Christmas market
At the Christmas market you stand a lot and walk little, and in the evening it gets cold quickly. What works well:
- Several layers: a warm jacket over a jumper rather than a thin jacket.
- Warm, non-slip shoes: the ground can be slippery when there’s frost or snow.
- Hat, scarf and gloves: especially if you stand for a long time listening to the Advent music.
Forgot something? Hats, gloves and socks are available from Astrid Siebenhandel, and fur gloves, fur slippers and alpaca socks from Alexandra Wirnsberger. And a Glühwein (hot mulled wine, spiced with cinnamon, cloves and orange) or Kinderpunsch (alcohol-free punch for children) warms you up from the inside. What the difference is, is in our article Glühwein, Glühmost (hot spiced cider), Punsch, Kinderpunsch: what’s the difference?
Opening hours & getting here
Our Christmas market in front of Schloss Mirabell is open daily from 19 November to 31 December 2026, and entry is free.
Paying at the market: cash or card?
Bring some cash, and if in doubt, ask at the hut how you can pay. For the mugs you pay a deposit of 4 euros per mug (as of 2026), which you get back when you return it. The designs are new every year.
November and December 2026 at Mirabellplatz: the key dates
| Date | What | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 19 November | Christmas market opens | from 10 am |
| Wed 25 November | Lighting of the Christmas tree | 6 pm |
| Wed 2 December | St. Nicholas and Krampus (a horned, fur-clad figure from Alpine folklore who accompanies St. Nicholas) | 6 pm |
| Tue 8 December | Public holiday in Austria, Advent music | 5.15 pm |
| Thu 24 December | Christmas Eve | market 10 am–3 pm |
| 25 and 26 December | Christmas holidays | market 11 am–6 pm |
| 27 to 30 December | Advent music daily | 3.30 pm, market 10 am–7 pm |
| Thu 31 December | New Year’s Eve | market 10 am–7 pm, food and drink stalls open longer |
All the dates for the Advent music are in our article on Turmblasen (brass music played from the city’s towers) and Advent music in Salzburg, and when it gets dark and how to plan a whole day is in One day in Salzburg in Advent.
Christmas programme
Tree lighting, St. Nicholas and 20 dates of Advent music in front of the palace: the full 2026 programme at a glance.
Frequently asked questions
On average over the years 1991 to 2020, Salzburg reaches around 4 °C during the day in December, and at night the temperature drops to around −2 °C. There’s frost on about 20 days in the month.
Sometimes, but it’s not guaranteed. On average over the years 1991 to 2020, there was snow on the ground on around 10 days in December – between 0 and 29 days, depending on the year.
Rarely. According to GeoSphere Austria data, there was snow on the ground on 24 December in 9 of the 30 years from 1991 to 2020, most recently in 2010.
Several warm layers, warm and non-slip shoes, and a hat, scarf and gloves. In the evening it gets cold quickly, and at the market you stand a lot.
On 24 December from 10 am to 3 pm, and on 31 December from 10 am to 7 pm; the food and drink stalls stay open longer on New Year’s Eve.
In December the sun sets between 4.15 and 4.24 pm, and it’s dark by around 5 pm. That’s when the huts at Mirabellplatz light up.
Sources
Retrieved on 22 and 23 October 2026: GeoSphere Austria: monthly climate data and daily data (Salzburg Airport and Salzburg-Freisaal stations, 1991–2020 average, our own analysis) · timeanddate.de: sun times in Salzburg, December 2026 · Christmas market at Mirabellplatz: programme 2026 and info page