Cold Bay weather in December: Cold Bay, Alaska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Cold Bay in December has a normal high of 36°F and a normal low of 26°F, a daily mean of 31°F, falling from 38°F on the 1st to 34°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 23 days in a normal December, 4.42 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 2°C and low of −3°C, 112 mm of precipitation and 36 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationCold Bay Airport
- Station IDUSW00025624
- Location55.22°N 162.73°W
- Elevation78 ft (24 m)
- Population60
- Jan 33° 24°
- Feb 35° 26°
- Mar 35° 24°
- Apr 40° 30°
- May 47° 36°
- Jun 52° 42°
- Jul 56° 47°
- Aug 57° 48°
- Sep 53° 43°
- Oct 47° 36°
- Nov 40° 31°
- Dec 36° 26°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Cold Bay in December?
The normal high is 36°F and the normal low 26°F, for a daily mean of 30.8°F. December is 4.5°F cooler than November and 2.4°F warmer than January. December is the 9th warmest month of the year in Cold Bay and the 4th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 4°F, from 38°F on December 1 to 34°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 27°F and 34°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 78%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 38°F | 28°F | 78% | 41% |
| December 8 | 37°F | 27°F | 77% | 39% |
| December 15 | 36°F | 26°F | 75% | 37% |
| December 22 | 35°F | 25°F | 73% | 35% |
| December 31 | 34°F | 24°F | 71% | 33% |
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 | 38°F | 28°F | 78% | 41% | 7 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 38°F | 28°F | 78% | 41% | 7 h 30 min |
| December 3 | 37°F | 28°F | 78% | 41% | 7 h 30 min |
| December 4 | 37°F | 28°F | 78% | 40% | 7 h 30 min |
| December 5 | 37°F | 28°F | 78% | 40% | 7 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 37°F | 28°F | 78% | 40% | 7 h 20 min |
| December 7 | 37°F | 27°F | 77% | 39% | 7 h 20 min |
| December 8 | 37°F | 27°F | 77% | 39% | 7 h 20 min |
| December 9 | 37°F | 27°F | 77% | 39% | 7 h 20 min |
| December 10 | 36°F | 27°F | 76% | 38% | 7 h 20 min |
| December 11 | 36°F | 27°F | 76% | 38% | 7 h 20 min |
| December 12 | 36°F | 27°F | 76% | 38% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 36°F | 26°F | 76% | 37% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 36°F | 26°F | 75% | 37% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 36°F | 26°F | 75% | 37% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 16 | 36°F | 26°F | 75% | 37% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 17 | 36°F | 26°F | 74% | 36% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 18 | 35°F | 26°F | 74% | 36% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 19 | 35°F | 25°F | 74% | 36% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 20 | 35°F | 25°F | 74% | 36% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 21 | 35°F | 25°F | 73% | 36% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 22 | 35°F | 25°F | 73% | 35% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 23 | 35°F | 25°F | 73% | 35% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 24 | 35°F | 25°F | 72% | 35% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 25 | 34°F | 24°F | 72% | 35% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 26 | 34°F | 24°F | 72% | 34% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 27 | 34°F | 24°F | 72% | 34% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 28 | 34°F | 24°F | 72% | 34% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 29 | 34°F | 24°F | 71% | 34% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 30 | 34°F | 24°F | 71% | 34% | 7 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 34°F | 24°F | 71% | 33% | 7 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 36°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 26°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 4.42 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 230.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 14.1 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 23
- Daylight
- 7 h 40 min to 7 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 48%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00025624; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Cold Bay in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 75% on average, highest around December 1 (78%). In all, 4.42 in falls on 23 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Cold Bay, 23 nights fall to freezing, 8 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 14.1 inches.
Snow falls on 14 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 USW00025624.
How humid and windy is Cold Bay in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 31°F with 83% relative humidity and a dew point of 27°F; at 6 a.m. it is 29°F with 85% humidity. The wind averages 16.1 mph, most often from the east-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. | 29°F | 25°F | 85% | 15.9 mph | 22% |
| 9 a.m. | 30°F | 25°F | 84% | 16.1 mph | 16% |
| noon | 30°F | 26°F | 85% | 16.4 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 31°F | 27°F | 83% | 16.8 mph | 6% |
| 6 p.m. | 30°F | 26°F | 84% | 16.6 mph | 15% |
| 9 p.m. | 30°F | 26°F | 84% | 16.0 mph | 17% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00025624. 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 Cold Bay?
The warmest December temperature on Cold Bay's official record (since 1942) is 62°F, on December 26, 2021; the coldest is −9°F, on December 29, 1950. The wettest December brought 13.94 in (2000); the snowiest, 29.4 inches (1997).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 30.8°F: 2021 34.9°F (+4.1), 2022 34.9°F (+4.1), 2023 28.5°F (−2.3), 2024 34.7°F (+3.9), 2025 31.7°F (+0.9). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 34.9°F | +4.1°F | 2.73 in |
| 2022 | 34.9°F | +4.1°F | 3.46 in |
| 2023 | 28.5°F | −2.3°F | 3.01 in |
| 2024 | 34.7°F | +3.9°F | 6.86 in |
| 2025 | 31.7°F | +0.9°F | 2.62 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CDBthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00025624. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Cold Bay 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; Cold Bay's is 36°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.