Albany weather in December: Albany, New York: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Albany in December has a normal high of 38°F and a normal low of 23°F, a daily mean of 30°F, falling from 43°F on the 1st to 34°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal December, 3.26 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 3°C and low of −5°C, 83 mm of precipitation and 34 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationAlbany International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014735
- Location42.74°N 73.81°W
- Elevation312 ft (95 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population101,317
- Jan 33° 16°
- Feb 36° 18°
- Mar 45° 26°
- Apr 59° 37°
- May 71° 48°
- Jun 79° 57°
- Jul 84° 62°
- Aug 82° 61°
- Sep 74° 53°
- Oct 62° 41°
- Nov 49° 32°
- Dec 38° 23°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Albany in December?
The normal high is 38°F and the normal low 23°F, for a daily mean of 30.4°F. December is 10.1°F cooler than November and 6.0°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Albany and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 9°F, from 43°F on December 1 to 34°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 27°F and 34°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 42%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 43°F | 27°F | 40% | 23% |
| December 8 | 41°F | 25°F | 41% | 24% |
| December 15 | 38°F | 23°F | 41% | 23% |
| December 22 | 36°F | 21°F | 41% | 23% |
| December 31 | 34°F | 19°F | 42% | 22% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 31)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 43°F | 27°F | 40% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 43°F | 27°F | 40% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 42°F | 26°F | 40% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 42°F | 26°F | 40% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 42°F | 26°F | 41% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 41°F | 26°F | 41% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 41°F | 25°F | 41% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 41°F | 25°F | 41% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 40°F | 25°F | 41% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 40°F | 24°F | 41% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 40°F | 24°F | 41% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 39°F | 24°F | 41% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 39°F | 24°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 39°F | 23°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h |
| December 15 | 38°F | 23°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h |
| December 16 | 38°F | 23°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h |
| December 17 | 38°F | 22°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h |
| December 18 | 37°F | 22°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h |
| December 19 | 37°F | 22°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h |
| December 20 | 37°F | 22°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h |
| December 21 | 37°F | 21°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h |
| December 22 | 36°F | 21°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h |
| December 23 | 36°F | 21°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h |
| December 24 | 36°F | 21°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h |
| December 25 | 36°F | 20°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h |
| December 26 | 35°F | 20°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h |
| December 27 | 35°F | 20°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h |
| December 28 | 35°F | 20°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h |
| December 29 | 35°F | 19°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h |
| December 30 | 35°F | 19°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h |
| December 31 | 34°F | 19°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h |
- Normal high
- 38°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 23°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.26 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 13.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 26
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 57%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014735; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Albany in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 41% on average, highest around December 31 (42%). In all, 3.26 in falls on 13 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Albany, 26 nights fall to freezing, 9 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 13.3 inches.
Snow falls on 7 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 10 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014735.
How humid and windy is Albany in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 31°F with 61% relative humidity and a dew point of 20°F; at 6 a.m. it is 25°F with 76% humidity. The wind averages 8.5 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 25°F | 18°F | 76% | 7.5 mph | 31% |
| 9 a.m. | 26°F | 19°F | 74% | 8.5 mph | – |
| noon | 30°F | 19°F | 64% | 10.7 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 31°F | 20°F | 61% | 10.8 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 29°F | 19°F | 67% | 8.3 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 27°F | 19°F | 71% | 7.8 mph | 39% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014735. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for December in Albany?
The warmest December temperature on Albany's official record (since 1874) is 72°F, on December 24, 2015; the coldest is −22°F, on December 25, 1969. The wettest December brought 6.73 in (1973); the snowiest, 57.5 inches (1969).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 30.4°F: 2021 36.1°F (+5.7), 2022 31.9°F (+1.5), 2023 37.6°F (+7.2), 2024 29.1°F (−1.3), 2025 25.7°F (−4.7). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36.1°F | +5.7°F | 2.65 in |
| 2022 | 31.9°F | +1.5°F | 3.95 in |
| 2023 | 37.6°F | +7.2°F | 5.68 in |
| 2024 | 29.1°F | −1.3°F | 3.14 in |
| 2025 | 25.7°F | −4.7°F | 3.27 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ALBthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014735. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Albany compare across New York?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in New York, December normal highs run from 29°F in Lake Placid to 47°F in Wantagh; Albany's is 38°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.