Cleveland weather in December: Cleveland, Ohio: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Cleveland in December has a normal high of 40°F and a normal low of 28°F, a daily mean of 34°F, falling from 45°F on the 1st to 37°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 16 days in a normal December, 2.99 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 5°C and low of −2°C, 76 mm of precipitation and 31 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationCleveland-Hopkins International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014820
- Location41.41°N 81.86°W
- Elevation763 ft (233 m)
- From the center10 miles
- Population365,379
- Jan 36° 22°
- Feb 39° 24°
- Mar 47° 31°
- Apr 60° 41°
- May 71° 51°
- Jun 80° 61°
- Jul 84° 65°
- Aug 82° 64°
- Sep 76° 57°
- Oct 64° 47°
- Nov 51° 37°
- Dec 40° 28°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Cleveland in December?
The normal high is 40°F and the normal low 28°F, for a daily mean of 34.3°F. December is 9.7°F cooler than November and 5.2°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Cleveland and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 45°F on December 1 to 37°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 30°F and 39°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 54%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 45°F | 32°F | 48% | 26% |
| December 8 | 43°F | 30°F | 50% | 26% |
| December 15 | 40°F | 28°F | 51% | 26% |
| December 22 | 39°F | 27°F | 53% | 26% |
| December 31 | 37°F | 25°F | 54% | 26% |
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 | 45°F | 32°F | 48% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 2 | 45°F | 32°F | 49% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 44°F | 32°F | 49% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 44°F | 31°F | 49% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 5 | 44°F | 31°F | 49% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 6 | 43°F | 31°F | 49% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 7 | 43°F | 31°F | 50% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 8 | 43°F | 30°F | 50% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 9 | 42°F | 30°F | 50% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 10 | 42°F | 30°F | 50% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 11 | 42°F | 29°F | 50% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 12 | 41°F | 29°F | 51% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 41°F | 29°F | 51% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 41°F | 29°F | 51% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 40°F | 28°F | 51% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 16 | 40°F | 28°F | 51% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 17 | 40°F | 28°F | 52% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 18 | 40°F | 28°F | 52% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 19 | 39°F | 27°F | 52% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 20 | 39°F | 27°F | 52% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 21 | 39°F | 27°F | 52% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 22 | 39°F | 27°F | 53% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 23 | 38°F | 26°F | 53% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 24 | 38°F | 26°F | 53% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 25 | 38°F | 26°F | 53% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 26 | 38°F | 26°F | 53% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 27 | 38°F | 26°F | 53% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 28 | 37°F | 25°F | 54% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 29 | 37°F | 25°F | 54% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 30 | 37°F | 25°F | 54% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 37°F | 25°F | 54% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 40°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 28°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 2.99 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 160.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 12.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 22
- Daylight
- 9 h 30 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 48%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014820; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Cleveland in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 51% on average, highest around December 31 (54%). In all, 2.99 in falls on 16 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Cleveland, 22 nights fall to freezing, 8 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 12.2 inches.
Snow falls on 8 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 USW00014820.
How humid and windy is Cleveland in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 33°F with 69% relative humidity and a dew point of 24°F; at 6 a.m. it is 29°F with 78% humidity. The wind averages 11.1 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. | 29°F | 23°F | 78% | 10.5 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 29°F | 23°F | 77% | 11.1 mph | – |
| noon | 32°F | 24°F | 71% | 12.6 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 33°F | 24°F | 69% | 12.5 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 32°F | 24°F | 73% | 10.4 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 31°F | 24°F | 75% | 10.7 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014820. 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 Cleveland?
The warmest December temperature on Cleveland's official record (since 1871) is 77°F, on December 3, 1982; the coldest is −15°F, on December 22, 1989. The wettest December brought 8.59 in (1990); the snowiest, 35.1 inches (2004).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 34.3°F: 2021 40.5°F (+6.2), 2022 34.6°F (+0.3), 2023 42.0°F (+7.7), 2024 35.7°F (+1.4), 2025 29.5°F (−4.8). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 40.5°F | +6.2°F | 2.90 in |
| 2022 | 34.6°F | +0.3°F | 1.19 in |
| 2023 | 42.0°F | +7.7°F | 3.33 in |
| 2024 | 35.7°F | +1.4°F | 4.23 in |
| 2025 | 29.5°F | −4.8°F | 2.54 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CLEthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014820. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Cleveland compare across Ohio?
Across the 99 places PlainClimate covers in Ohio, December normal highs run from 36°F in Montpelier to 46°F in Portsmouth; Cleveland's is 40°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.