Rio in December
 

So I booked a vacation for this December, and like an idiot never thought to check weather averages for the month. And the long-range forecast looks AWFUL, rainy and cloudy the whole time.

I'm now reading it's the "rainy" season in December, but does that mean Florida-like storms/showers during an otherwise sunny day? Or does it mean a total washout?

How long a vacation? Beginning what day? It may mean that you go to Corcovado with the first sunshine that appears, to Sugarloaf if you get another sunny period, and the majority of the time is cloudy. It may mean that it rains briefly once during the day and at night and you get some beach weather otherwise.

(We just came back from Mexico a few weeks ago. The online forecast the week before read torrential rain for all days we were going to be there and I was in a panic, thinking of cancelling. We had sun the whole time; not a drop of rain.)

Set for just five nights, arriving the morning of 12/17. Head back the night of 12/22.

I think the below sums it up well. Trust me, you'll be welcoming the rain when you're there!!

From http://www.rdj.com/weather/:

Rio's summers are famously hot and humid, with temperatures easily reaching 104 degrees Fahrenheit. With so much warm moisture in the air, a cold front for Antarctica can easily make for flash thunderstorms and hurricanes, so summer in Rio de Janeiro is also the wettest time of year. These pass through quickly, leaving the bright blue sky and beach perfect weather (sunscreen and umbrellas are imperative for those not accustomed to the Rio de Janeiro summer) just in time for Carnival in February.

Yes, it certainly does often rain or mist during Carnaval. You can see photos of the parades in the Sambodromo where the spectators are wet or holding umbrellas. Same for photos of Reveillon (New Years Eve) on the beach in Copacabana.
Here are some suggestions for what to do in Rio on a rainy day:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...237&tstart=100

104F is far from typical in Rio, even during the summer, at least in my experience (I worked there for two years and have been back as a tourist). Forecast for the next 10 days, according to Weather.com, is for highs mainly in the 80s, with scattered rain/thunderstorms many but not all days. Yes, it can get very warm and humid, but it's on the coast and also gets ocean breezes (I'm talking of the tourist areas you'd most likely stay in). There are places in the interior that can be much, much hoter and either more humod or stifling dry. Yes, you can get rain. Yes, it rains during Carnaval, but that's 2 months after your visit.

You've booked your flights and, presumably, lodging. Relax. A big rain could impede travel in the mountains, but unless it's a really big storm, your stay in Rio will probably not be greatly affected. Avoid Corcovado and Pao de Açucar during thunderstorms, of course. People sitting in the snow in North America and Europe will envy you for your hardship. You will survive. Enjoy.

orlandodlplat, there is no pattern for rain in Rio. The only difference between the seasons in terms of precipitation is the volume. It rains more in the summer, but not necessarily more often.

Just come and enjoy the trip. You can also forget about the weather forecast. In Rio, it only works for the next day, sometimes not even that.

What? This is not true! Rio has never been hit by a Hurricane, not even close.

When I worked in Rio, some joked that in the winter, young women got out their fur-lined bikinis.

Enjoy the place, even if it rains. Also, Rio is a little dead between Christmas and New Years.

I always check climate data before planning a vacation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro#Climate

One thing I like about Rio, rain or shine the people are out along the beaches. I find late November or early December a crap shoot with respect to the weather. I went Thanksgiving 2011 and it rained five out of the six days.

It does seem at least to me unlike South Florida where it can rain like crazy for a couple of hours and then get sunny Rio when raining, rains all day. I generally find fall to be the dryer period.

According to the climate data, Rio in July and August should be the least rainy.