Erie weather in December: Erie, Pennsylvania: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Erie 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 19 days in a normal December, 4.17 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 5°C and low of −2°C, 106 mm of precipitation and 67 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationErie International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014860
- Location42.08°N 80.18°W
- Elevation730 ft (223 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population92,940
- Jan 35° 21°
- Feb 37° 21°
- Mar 44° 28°
- Apr 57° 38°
- May 68° 49°
- Jun 77° 59°
- Jul 81° 64°
- Aug 80° 63°
- Sep 74° 57°
- Oct 62° 46°
- 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 Erie in December?
The normal high is 40°F and the normal low 28°F, for a daily mean of 34.1°F. December is 9.5°F cooler than November and 5.9°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Erie and the 3rd 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 4.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 30°F and 38°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 63%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 45°F | 32°F | 56% | 33% |
| December 8 | 42°F | 30°F | 59% | 34% |
| December 15 | 40°F | 28°F | 60% | 35% |
| December 22 | 39°F | 26°F | 62% | 36% |
| December 31 | 37°F | 24°F | 63% | 36% |
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 | 56% | 33% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 44°F | 32°F | 57% | 33% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 44°F | 32°F | 57% | 33% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 44°F | 31°F | 57% | 34% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 5 | 43°F | 31°F | 58% | 34% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 6 | 43°F | 31°F | 58% | 34% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 7 | 43°F | 30°F | 58% | 34% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 42°F | 30°F | 59% | 34% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 42°F | 30°F | 59% | 34% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 42°F | 30°F | 59% | 35% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 41°F | 29°F | 59% | 35% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 41°F | 29°F | 60% | 35% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 41°F | 29°F | 60% | 35% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 41°F | 29°F | 60% | 35% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 40°F | 28°F | 60% | 35% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 16 | 40°F | 28°F | 60% | 35% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 17 | 40°F | 28°F | 61% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 18 | 39°F | 27°F | 61% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 19 | 39°F | 27°F | 61% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 20 | 39°F | 27°F | 61% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 21 | 39°F | 27°F | 62% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 22 | 39°F | 26°F | 62% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 23 | 38°F | 26°F | 62% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 24 | 38°F | 26°F | 62% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 25 | 38°F | 26°F | 62% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 26 | 38°F | 25°F | 62% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 27 | 38°F | 25°F | 62% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 28 | 37°F | 25°F | 63% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 29 | 37°F | 25°F | 63% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 30 | 37°F | 24°F | 63% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 37°F | 24°F | 63% | 36% | 9 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 40°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 28°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 4.17 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 190.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 26.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 22
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 46%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014860; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Erie in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 60% on average, highest around December 31 (63%). In all, 4.17 in falls on 19 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Erie, 22 nights fall to freezing, 8 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 26.3 inches.
Snow falls on 12 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 12 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014860.
How humid and windy is Erie 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 30°F with 75% humidity. The wind averages 11.7 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. | 30°F | 23°F | 75% | 11.5 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 30°F | 23°F | 75% | 11.9 mph | – |
| noon | 32°F | 23°F | 70% | 12.5 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 33°F | 24°F | 69% | 12.0 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 31°F | 24°F | 73% | 10.9 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 31°F | 23°F | 74% | 11.6 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014860. 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 Erie?
The warmest December temperature on Erie's official record (since 1873) is 75°F, on December 3, 1982; the coldest is −11°F, on December 30, 1880. The wettest December brought 7.55 in (2017); the snowiest, 93.8 inches (2017).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 34.1°F: 2021 41.1°F (+7.0), 2022 33.3°F (−0.8), 2023 41.5°F (+7.4), 2024 34.8°F (+0.7), 2025 29.9°F (−4.3). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 41.1°F | +7.0°F | 3.68 in |
| 2022 | 33.3°F | −0.8°F | 1.06 in |
| 2023 | 41.5°F | +7.4°F | 3.27 in |
| 2024 | 34.8°F | +0.7°F | 4.08 in |
| 2025 | 29.9°F | −4.3°F | 4.02 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ERIthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014860. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Erie compare across Pennsylvania?
Across the 108 places PlainClimate covers in Pennsylvania, December normal highs run from 34°F in Laporte to 48°F in Marcus Hook; Erie's is 40°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.