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Select units of measurement for the temperature and rainfall tables (metric or imperial).

United States - weather in December



Flag - United States

Map - United States




December is the first month of winter in the United States, and it is the coldest of the year in the westernmost part (see Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix), while in the rest of the territory, the coldest month is February.
The average temperatures vary a lot: they are above freezing on the west coast, facing the Pacific, quite mild even in the northern part (see Seattle), and very mild in the south (see Los Angeles), where they are spring-like. In the south, the average is above freezing as well, and in the southern tip of Florida (see Miami), the December average is about 22 °C (71.5 °F) and the climate is tropical.
Instead, in inland areas, December is a cold month, very cold in the north, with averages below freezing, and cold in the central band, with averages just above freezing (see Kansas City) also on the Atlantic coast (see New York). The Great Lakes, on the border with Canada, begin to freeze, generally from the end of the month, more or less extensively depending on the temperature.
Furthermore, cold waves can occur in almost the entire territory, which can significantly lower the temperature. In general, only the coast of California (see San Francisco, Los Angeles) and southern Florida (see Miami) are sheltered from cold spells. In the Great Plains the blizzard, the icy north wind, can blow, while in the Great Lakes and in the north-east, in New England (see Boston, Portland in Maine), and sometimes also in New York and Washington, there can be snowstorms, especially in the second half of the month.
In the Rocky Mountains, there are several resorts where you can practice winter sports.
On the eastern side of the mountains (see Helena, Denver), the chinook can blow, a mild, dry wind capable of melting snow.
Precipitation is abundant on the northwest coast, in the states of Washington and Oregon (see Seattle), but also in northern California. On the central-southern coast of California (see San Francisco, Los Angeles), the rains are gradually rarer, however, winter is the rainiest season and there can be waves of bad weather.
In the Great Basin, the arid western plateau, precipitation is quite scarce, however, it can occur in the form of snow. In the Great Plains (see Fargo), east of the Great Basin, light snowfalls generally occur as well. In the deserts of the southwest (see Las Vegas, Phoenix), the rains are rare.
Instead, in the central-eastern part of the United States, precipitation is more frequent and abundant, and in the northern part, on the Great Lakes and in New England, it often occurs in the form of snow.
The United States is located at medium latitudes, however, the days are quite short in the north, where the sun stays above the horizon for less than 9 hours on average. December 21 is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which is to say, the day with the least hours of daylight of the whole year.

The sea is warm enough for swimming only in the southeastern part of Florida, from Miami to Palm Bay.

The following tables show the climate averages in the month of December in the United States in a selection of locations.

Monthly climate averages - December

(from north to south)

Spokane
(600 m.)
Spokane, position on the map
Spokane, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
-43551483%1,9h8.5h

Seattle
Seattle, position on the map
Seattle, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay lengthSea
temperature
MinMaxmmDays
381451880%1,7h8.5h9

Fargo
(275 m.)
Fargo, position on the map
Fargo, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
-14-425578%3,5h8.6h

Duluth
(435 m.)
Duluth, position on the map
Duluth, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
-12-435678%3,3h8.6h

Yellowstone Lake
(2.400 m.)
Yellowstone Lake, position on the map
Yellowstone Lake, position on the map
Temper. (C)Precipitation
MinMaxmmDays
-16-56016

Chicago
Chicago, position on the map
Chicago, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
-33551173%3,4h9.2h

Salt Lake City
(1.300 m.)
Salt Lake City, position on the map
Salt Lake City, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationSunshine
MinMaxmmDays
-4435103,6h

New York
New York, position on the map
New York, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay lengthSea
temperature
MinMaxmmDays
171101160%4,5h9.3h9

Denver
(1.600 m.)
Denver, position on the map
Denver, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
-8710453%6,3h9.4h

Cincinnati
Cincinnati, position on the map
Cincinnati, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
-26951275%3,2h9.5h

Kansas City
(270 m.)
Kansas City, position on the map
Kansas City, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
-3735567%4,7h9.5h

San Francisco
San Francisco, position on the map
San Francisco, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay lengthSea
temperature
MinMaxmmDays
7151051176%5,2h9.6h13

Las Vegas
(650 m.)
Las Vegas, position on the map
Las Vegas, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
41410341%7,6h9.7h

Memphis
Memphis, position on the map
Memphis, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
2121401069%4,9h9.8h

Los Angeles
Los Angeles, position on the map
Los Angeles, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay lengthSea
temperature
MinMaxmmDays
92065656%7,1h9.9h15

Atlanta
(300 m.)
Atlanta, position on the map
Atlanta, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
4131151168%5,3h10.0h

Phoenix
(350 m.)
Phoenix, position on the map
Phoenix, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
71920444%7,9h10.0h

Dallas
Dallas, position on the map
Dallas, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
41470664%5,6h10.0h

El Paso
(1.150 m.)
El Paso, position on the map
El Paso, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
11415446%7,9h10.1h

New Orleans
New Orleans, position on the map
New Orleans, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay lengthSea
temperature
MinMaxmmDays
918120974%5,1h10.3h20

Houston
Houston, position on the map
Houston, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay lengthSea
temperature
MinMaxmmDays
8181001073%4,8h10.3h20

Orlando
Orlando, position on the map
Orlando, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay length
MinMaxmmDays
122365775%7,5h10.4h

Miami
Miami, position on the map
Miami, position on the map
Temper. (C)PrecipitationHumiditySunshineDay lengthSea
temperature
MinMaxmmDays
182660873%7,0h10.6h25



See also: United States, the weather in November - January
The climate of United States

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