Bethel weather in December: Bethel, Alaska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Bethel in December has a normal high of 16°F and a normal low of 4°F, a daily mean of 10°F, falling from 20°F on the 1st to 12°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal December, 1.06 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −9°C and low of −16°C, 27 mm of precipitation and 31 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationBethel Airport
- Station IDUSW00026615
- Location60.78°N 161.83°W
- Elevation102 ft (31 m)
- Population6,335
- Jan 13° 1°
- Feb 20° 7°
- Mar 22° 7°
- Apr 37° 21°
- May 52° 34°
- Jun 62° 45°
- Jul 64° 49°
- Aug 61° 47°
- Sep 53° 39°
- Oct 38° 26°
- Nov 24° 13°
- Dec 16° 4°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Bethel in December?
The normal high is 16°F and the normal low 4°F, for a daily mean of 10.0°F. December is 8.5°F cooler than November and 3.1°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Bethel and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 20°F on December 1 to 12°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 7.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 2°F and 18°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 41%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 20°F | 7°F | 41% | 14% |
| December 8 | 19°F | 6°F | 39% | 12% |
| December 15 | 17°F | 4°F | 36% | 10% |
| December 22 | 15°F | 2°F | 34% | 10% |
| December 31 | 12°F | 1°F | 32% | 9% |
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 | 20°F | 7°F | 41% | 14% | 6 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 20°F | 7°F | 41% | 14% | 6 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 20°F | 7°F | 41% | 13% | 6 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 20°F | 7°F | 40% | 13% | 6 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 19°F | 6°F | 40% | 13% | 6 h |
| December 6 | 19°F | 6°F | 40% | 12% | 6 h |
| December 7 | 19°F | 6°F | 39% | 12% | 6 h |
| December 8 | 19°F | 6°F | 39% | 12% | 6 h |
| December 9 | 18°F | 5°F | 38% | 11% | 5 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 18°F | 5°F | 38% | 11% | 5 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 18°F | 5°F | 38% | 11% | 5 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 18°F | 5°F | 37% | 11% | 5 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 17°F | 4°F | 37% | 11% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 14 | 17°F | 4°F | 37% | 11% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 15 | 17°F | 4°F | 36% | 10% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 16 | 16°F | 4°F | 36% | 10% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 17 | 16°F | 3°F | 36% | 10% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 18 | 16°F | 3°F | 35% | 10% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 19 | 16°F | 3°F | 35% | 10% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 20 | 15°F | 3°F | 35% | 10% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 21 | 15°F | 2°F | 35% | 10% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 22 | 15°F | 2°F | 34% | 10% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 23 | 14°F | 2°F | 34% | 10% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 24 | 14°F | 2°F | 34% | 9% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 25 | 14°F | 2°F | 34% | 9% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 26 | 13°F | 1°F | 33% | 9% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 27 | 13°F | 1°F | 33% | 9% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 28 | 13°F | 1°F | 33% | 9% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 29 | 13°F | 1°F | 33% | 9% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 30 | 12°F | 1°F | 33% | 9% | 5 h 40 min |
| December 31 | 12°F | 1°F | 32% | 9% | 5 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 16°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 4°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.06 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 12.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 6 h 20 min to 5 h 40 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 64%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00026615; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Bethel in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 36% on average, highest around December 1 (41%). In all, 1.06 in falls on 11 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Bethel, 30 nights fall to freezing, 25 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 12.2 inches.
Snow falls on 12 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 28 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00026615.
How humid and windy is Bethel in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 9°F with 82% relative humidity and a dew point of 5°F; at 6 a.m. it is 8°F with 83% humidity. The wind averages 12.9 mph, most often from the northeast in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 8°F | 4°F | 83% | 13.1 mph | 39% |
| 9 a.m. | 8°F | 4°F | 85% | 12.9 mph | 31% |
| noon | 9°F | 5°F | 83% | 12.8 mph | 23% |
| 3 p.m. | 9°F | 5°F | 82% | 12.8 mph | 21% |
| 6 p.m. | 9°F | 5°F | 83% | 12.8 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 9°F | 5°F | 83% | 13.0 mph | 40% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026615. 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 Bethel?
The warmest December temperature on Bethel's official record (since 1923) is 49°F, on December 31, 1936; the coldest is −44°F, on December 31, 1948. The wettest December brought 6.17 in (1951); the snowiest, 47.0 inches (1951).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 10.0°F: 2021 18.6°F (+8.6), 2022 12.0°F (+2.0), 2023 4.8°F (−5.2), 2024 18.1°F (+8.1), 2025 4.9°F (−5.1). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18.6°F | +8.6°F | 3.92 in |
| 2022 | 12.0°F | +2.0°F | 0.47 in |
| 2023 | 4.8°F | −5.2°F | 1.65 in |
| 2024 | 18.1°F | +8.1°F | 0.66 in |
| 2025 | 4.9°F | −5.1°F | 1.33 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BETthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00026615. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Bethel compare across Alaska?
Across the 85 places PlainClimate covers in Alaska, December normal highs run from −7°F in Chicken to 42°F in Sitka; Bethel's is 16°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.