Carlsbad weather in December: Carlsbad, New Mexico: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Carlsbad in December has a normal high of 57°F and a normal low of 30°F, a daily mean of 44°F, falling from 60°F on the 1st to 56°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 4 days in a normal December, 0.52 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 14°C and low of −1°C, 13 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationCarlsbad Cavern City Airport
- Station IDUSW00093033
- Location32.33°N 104.26°W
- Elevation3,232 ft (985 m)
- Population31,999
- Jan 58° 30°
- Feb 63° 34°
- Mar 71° 40°
- Apr 80° 48°
- May 88° 57°
- Jun 96° 66°
- Jul 95° 69°
- Aug 94° 68°
- Sep 87° 61°
- Oct 78° 49°
- Nov 66° 37°
- Dec 57° 30°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Carlsbad in December?
The normal high is 57°F and the normal low 30°F, for a daily mean of 43.5°F. December is 7.9°F cooler than November and 0.4°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in Carlsbad and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 4°F, from 60°F on December 1 to 56°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 2.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 41°F and 46°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 12%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 60°F | 32°F | 11% | 4% |
| December 8 | 58°F | 30°F | 11% | 4% |
| December 15 | 57°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% |
| December 22 | 56°F | 29°F | 12% | 4% |
| December 31 | 56°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 26)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 60°F | 32°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 60°F | 32°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 60°F | 31°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 60°F | 31°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 59°F | 31°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 59°F | 31°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 59°F | 31°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 58°F | 30°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 58°F | 30°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 58°F | 30°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 58°F | 30°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 12 | 58°F | 30°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 13 | 57°F | 30°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 14 | 57°F | 30°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 15 | 57°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 16 | 57°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 17 | 57°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 18 | 57°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 19 | 56°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 20 | 56°F | 29°F | 12% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 21 | 56°F | 29°F | 12% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 22 | 56°F | 29°F | 12% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 23 | 56°F | 29°F | 12% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 24 | 56°F | 29°F | 12% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 25 | 56°F | 29°F | 12% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 26 | 56°F | 29°F | 12% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 27 | 56°F | 29°F | 12% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 28 | 56°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 29 | 56°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 30 | 56°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 31 | 56°F | 29°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 57°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 30°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.52 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 40.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 20
- Daylight
- 10 h 10 min to 10 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 6
- Sunshine
- 84%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093033; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Carlsbad in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 11% on average, highest around December 22 (12%). In all, 0.52 in falls on 4 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Carlsbad, 20 nights fall to freezing and 1 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093033.
How humid and windy is Carlsbad in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 54°F with 31% relative humidity and a dew point of 24°F; at 6 a.m. it is 32°F with 68% humidity. The wind averages 8.4 mph, most often from the 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. | 32°F | 23°F | 68% | 6.9 mph | 78% |
| 9 a.m. | 39°F | 25°F | 55% | 7.3 mph | 75% |
| noon | 49°F | 25°F | 38% | 9.7 mph | 74% |
| 3 p.m. | 54°F | 24°F | 31% | 11.1 mph | 74% |
| 6 p.m. | 46°F | 24°F | 43% | 8.6 mph | 75% |
| 9 p.m. | 41°F | 24°F | 52% | 8.4 mph | 77% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093033. 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 Carlsbad?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1930) is 88°F, on December 12, 1933; the coldest is −4°F, on December 29, 1983. The wettest December brought 3.60 in (1991); the snowiest, 17.5 inches (1931).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 43.5°F: 2021 53.8°F (+10.3), 2022 46.4°F (+2.9), 2023 47.3°F (+3.8), 2024 48.3°F (+4.8), 2025 51.3°F (+7.8). 5 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 53.8°F | +10.3°F | 0.02 in |
| 2022 | 46.4°F | +2.9°F | 0.10 in |
| 2023 | 47.3°F | +3.8°F | 0.08 in |
| 2024 | 48.3°F | +4.8°F | 0.00 in |
| 2025 | 51.3°F | +7.8°F | 0.56 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093033; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093033. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Carlsbad compare across New Mexico?
Across the 98 places PlainClimate covers in New Mexico, December normal highs run from 35°F in Red River to 60°F in Jal; Carlsbad's is 57°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.