Buffalo weather in December: Buffalo, New York: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Buffalo in December has a normal high of 37°F and a normal low of 26°F, a daily mean of 31°F, falling from 42°F on the 1st to 34°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 18 days in a normal December, 3.75 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 3°C and low of −4°C, 95 mm of precipitation and 64 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationBuffalo Niagara International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014733
- Location42.95°N 78.74°W
- Elevation693 ft (211 m)
- From the center7 miles
- Population276,617
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 33° 20°
- Mar 42° 26°
- Apr 55° 37°
- May 67° 48°
- Jun 76° 58°
- Jul 80° 63°
- Aug 79° 62°
- Sep 72° 55°
- Oct 60° 44°
- Nov 48° 34°
- Dec 37° 26°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Buffalo in December?
The normal high is 37°F and the normal low 26°F, for a daily mean of 31.4°F. December is 9.6°F cooler than November and 5.9°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Buffalo and the 3rd wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 42°F on December 1 to 34°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 27°F and 36°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 61%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 42°F | 30°F | 55% | 30% |
| December 8 | 39°F | 28°F | 56% | 31% |
| December 15 | 37°F | 26°F | 58% | 32% |
| December 22 | 36°F | 24°F | 59% | 32% |
| December 31 | 34°F | 22°F | 61% | 32% |
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 | 42°F | 30°F | 55% | 30% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 41°F | 29°F | 55% | 30% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 41°F | 29°F | 55% | 30% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 41°F | 29°F | 55% | 30% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 40°F | 29°F | 56% | 30% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 40°F | 28°F | 56% | 30% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 40°F | 28°F | 56% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 39°F | 28°F | 56% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 39°F | 27°F | 56% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 39°F | 27°F | 57% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 38°F | 27°F | 57% | 31% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 38°F | 27°F | 57% | 31% | 9 h |
| December 13 | 38°F | 26°F | 57% | 31% | 9 h |
| December 14 | 37°F | 26°F | 58% | 31% | 9 h |
| December 15 | 37°F | 26°F | 58% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 16 | 37°F | 26°F | 58% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 17 | 37°F | 25°F | 58% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 18 | 36°F | 25°F | 58% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 19 | 36°F | 25°F | 59% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 20 | 36°F | 25°F | 59% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 21 | 36°F | 24°F | 59% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 22 | 36°F | 24°F | 59% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 23 | 35°F | 24°F | 59% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 24 | 35°F | 24°F | 59% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 25 | 35°F | 23°F | 60% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 26 | 35°F | 23°F | 60% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 27 | 35°F | 23°F | 60% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 28 | 34°F | 23°F | 60% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 29 | 34°F | 22°F | 60% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 30 | 34°F | 22°F | 60% | 32% | 9 h |
| December 31 | 34°F | 22°F | 61% | 32% | 9 h |
- Normal high
- 37°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 26°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.75 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 180.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 25.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 24
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 48%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014733; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Buffalo in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 58% on average, highest around December 31 (61%). In all, 3.75 in falls on 18 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Buffalo, 24 nights fall to freezing, 10 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 25.3 inches.
Snow falls on 12 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 14 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014733.
How humid and windy is Buffalo in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 31°F with 71% relative humidity and a dew point of 22°F; at 6 a.m. it is 27°F with 78% humidity. The wind averages 11.7 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 27°F | 21°F | 78% | 11.0 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 27°F | 21°F | 78% | 11.2 mph | – |
| noon | 30°F | 22°F | 71% | 13.2 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 31°F | 22°F | 71% | 13.1 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 29°F | 22°F | 75% | 11.5 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 28°F | 22°F | 76% | 11.4 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014733. 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 Buffalo?
The warmest December temperature on Buffalo's official record (since 1873) is 74°F, on December 3, 1982; the coldest is −10°F, on December 25, 1980. The wettest December brought 8.71 in (1990); the snowiest, 82.7 inches (2001).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 31.4°F: 2021 38.2°F (+6.8), 2022 32.0°F (+0.6), 2023 39.4°F (+8.0), 2024 33.0°F (+1.6), 2025 27.4°F (−4.0). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 38.2°F | +6.8°F | 2.46 in |
| 2022 | 32.0°F | +0.6°F | 6.57 in |
| 2023 | 39.4°F | +8.0°F | 3.87 in |
| 2024 | 33.0°F | +1.6°F | 3.85 in |
| 2025 | 27.4°F | −4.0°F | 3.86 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BUFthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014733. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Buffalo 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; Buffalo's is 37°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.