Amherst weather in December: Amherst, Massachusetts: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Amherst in December has a normal high of 39°F and a normal low of 21°F, a daily mean of 30°F, falling from 44°F on the 1st to 36°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal December, 3.89 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 4°C and low of −6°C, 99 mm of precipitation and 19 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationAmherst
- Station IDUSC00190120
- Location42.39°N 72.54°W
- Elevation145 ft (44 m)
- Population40,989
- Jan 34° 14°
- Feb 37° 15°
- Mar 45° 24°
- Apr 58° 34°
- May 70° 45°
- Jun 78° 55°
- Jul 83° 60°
- Aug 82° 58°
- Sep 74° 50°
- Oct 62° 39°
- Nov 50° 29°
- Dec 39° 21°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Amherst in December?
The normal high is 39°F and the normal low 21°F, for a daily mean of 30.0°F. December is 9.4°F cooler than November and 6.1°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Amherst and the 6th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 44°F on December 1 to 36°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 26°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 35%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 44°F | 25°F | 34% | 23% |
| December 8 | 41°F | 23°F | 35% | 23% |
| December 15 | 39°F | 21°F | 35% | 24% |
| December 22 | 37°F | 19°F | 35% | 24% |
| December 31 | 36°F | 17°F | 35% | 24% |
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 | 44°F | 25°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 43°F | 25°F | 35% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 43°F | 24°F | 35% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 43°F | 24°F | 35% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 5 | 42°F | 24°F | 35% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 42°F | 24°F | 35% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 42°F | 23°F | 35% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 41°F | 23°F | 35% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 41°F | 23°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 41°F | 22°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 40°F | 22°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 40°F | 22°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 40°F | 22°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 40°F | 21°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 39°F | 21°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 16 | 39°F | 21°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 17 | 39°F | 21°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 18 | 38°F | 20°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 19 | 38°F | 20°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 20 | 38°F | 20°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 21 | 38°F | 19°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 22 | 37°F | 19°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 23 | 37°F | 19°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 24 | 37°F | 19°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 25 | 37°F | 18°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 26 | 37°F | 18°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 27 | 36°F | 18°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 28 | 36°F | 18°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 29 | 36°F | 17°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 30 | 36°F | 17°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 36°F | 17°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 39°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 21°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.89 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 7.5 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 62%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00190120; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Amherst in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 35% on average, highest around December 30 (35%). In all, 3.89 in falls on 11 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Amherst, 27 nights fall to freezing, 6 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 7.5 inches.
Snow falls on 4 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 USC00190120.
What are the records for December in Amherst?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 72°F, on December 8, 1998; the coldest is −22°F, on December 30, 1917. The wettest December brought 8.77 in (1973); the snowiest, 26.6 inches (1970).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 30.0°F: 2021 34.0°F (+4.0), 2022 31.8°F (+1.8), 2023 36.9°F (+6.9), 2024 29.1°F (−0.9), 2025 25.8°F (−4.2). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 34.0°F | +4.0°F | 3.86 in |
| 2022 | 31.8°F | +1.8°F | 4.66 in |
| 2023 | 36.9°F | +6.9°F | 5.67 in |
| 2024 | 29.1°F | −0.9°F | 4.17 in |
| 2025 | 25.8°F | −4.2°F | 3.21 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00190120; recent months: ACIS, station USC00190120. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Amherst compare across Massachusetts?
Across the 35 places PlainClimate covers in Massachusetts, December normal highs run from 36°F in Pittsfield to 46°F in Edgartown; Amherst's is 39°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Amherst in November50°F by day, 29°F at night
- Amherst in January34°F by day, 14°F at night
- Amherst through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Massachusetts in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Edgartown: Massachusetts's warmest Decembernormal high 46°F