Big Bear Lake weather in December: Big Bear Lake, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Big Bear Lake in December has a normal high of 46°F and a normal low of 24°F, a daily mean of 35°F, falling from 48°F on the 1st to 46°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 6 days in a normal December, 3.31 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 8°C and low of −5°C, 84 mm of precipitation and 28 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationBig Bear Lake
- Station IDUSC00040741
- Location34.24°N 116.92°W
- Elevation6,753 ft (2,058 m)
- Population5,044
- Jan 46° 24°
- Feb 46° 24°
- Mar 51° 27°
- Apr 57° 31°
- May 66° 37°
- Jun 75° 44°
- Jul 80° 51°
- Aug 79° 50°
- Sep 73° 44°
- Oct 63° 35°
- Nov 54° 28°
- Dec 46° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Big Bear Lake in December?
The normal high is 46°F and the normal low 24°F, for a daily mean of 34.8°F. December is 5.8°F cooler than November and 0.0°F cooler than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Big Bear Lake and the 3rd wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 2°F, from 48°F on December 1 to 46°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 2.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 32°F and 37°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 21%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 48°F | 25°F | 14% | 11% |
| December 8 | 47°F | 24°F | 16% | 12% |
| December 15 | 46°F | 23°F | 18% | 13% |
| December 22 | 46°F | 23°F | 19% | 14% |
| December 31 | 46°F | 24°F | 21% | 15% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 18)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 48°F | 25°F | 14% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 48°F | 25°F | 14% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 48°F | 24°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 4 | 48°F | 24°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 5 | 47°F | 24°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 6 | 47°F | 24°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 7 | 47°F | 24°F | 16% | 12% | 10 h |
| December 8 | 47°F | 24°F | 16% | 12% | 10 h |
| December 9 | 47°F | 24°F | 16% | 12% | 10 h |
| December 10 | 46°F | 24°F | 16% | 12% | 10 h |
| December 11 | 46°F | 23°F | 17% | 12% | 10 h |
| December 12 | 46°F | 23°F | 17% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 46°F | 23°F | 17% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 46°F | 23°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 46°F | 23°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 46°F | 23°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 46°F | 23°F | 18% | 14% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 46°F | 23°F | 19% | 14% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 46°F | 23°F | 19% | 14% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 46°F | 23°F | 19% | 14% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 46°F | 23°F | 19% | 14% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 46°F | 23°F | 19% | 14% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 46°F | 23°F | 20% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 46°F | 23°F | 20% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 46°F | 23°F | 20% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 46°F | 23°F | 20% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 46°F | 23°F | 20% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 46°F | 23°F | 20% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 46°F | 23°F | 20% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 46°F | 23°F | 21% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 46°F | 24°F | 21% | 15% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 46°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 24°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.31 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 60.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 11.0 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 86%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00040741; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Big Bear Lake in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 18% on average, highest around December 31 (21%). In all, 3.31 in falls on 6 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Big Bear Lake, 29 nights fall to freezing, 2 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 11.0 inches.
Snow falls on 3 days in a normal December.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00040741.
What are the records for December in Big Bear Lake?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1960) is 72°F, on December 9, 2025; the coldest is −14°F, on December 9, 1960. The wettest December brought 19.07 in (1966); the snowiest, 39.5 inches (1984).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 34.8°F: 2021 35.6°F (+0.8), 2022 35.0°F (+0.2), 2023 41.0°F (+6.2), 2024 42.9°F (+8.1), 2025 43.4°F (+8.6). 5 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35.6°F | +0.8°F | 13.47 in |
| 2022 | 35.0°F | +0.2°F | 2.19 in |
| 2023 | 41.0°F | +6.2°F | 0.56 in |
| 2024 | 42.9°F | +8.1°F | 0.02 in |
| 2025 | 43.4°F | +8.6°F | 3.88 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00040741; recent months: ACIS, station USC00040741. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Big Bear Lake compare across California?
Across the 219 places PlainClimate covers in California, December normal highs run from 38°F in Tahoma to 71°F in Anaheim; Big Bear Lake's is 46°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Big Bear Lake in November54°F by day, 28°F at night
- Big Bear Lake in January46°F by day, 24°F at night
- Big Bear Lake through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- California in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Anaheim: California's warmest Decembernormal high 71°F