Fort Collins weather in December: Fort Collins, Colorado: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Fort Collins in December has a normal high of 44°F and a normal low of 18°F, a daily mean of 31°F, falling from 46°F on the 1st to 44°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 4 days in a normal December, 0.47 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 7°C and low of −8°C, 12 mm of precipitation and 19 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationFort Collins
- Station IDUSC00053005
- Location40.58°N 105.09°W
- Elevation5,004 ft (1,525 m)
- Population170,924
- Jan 45° 18°
- Feb 47° 21°
- Mar 56° 29°
- Apr 63° 35°
- May 71° 44°
- Jun 82° 53°
- Jul 87° 59°
- Aug 85° 57°
- Sep 77° 48°
- Oct 64° 36°
- Nov 53° 26°
- Dec 44° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Fort Collins in December?
The normal high is 44°F and the normal low 18°F, for a daily mean of 31.1°F. December is 8.2°F cooler than November and 0.5°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in Fort Collins and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 2°F, from 46°F on December 1 to 44°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 2.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 28°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 14%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 46°F | 21°F | 14% | 6% |
| December 8 | 44°F | 19°F | 14% | 5% |
| December 15 | 43°F | 18°F | 13% | 5% |
| December 22 | 43°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% |
| December 31 | 44°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 24)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 46°F | 21°F | 14% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 2 | 46°F | 21°F | 14% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 3 | 46°F | 21°F | 14% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 4 | 46°F | 20°F | 14% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 5 | 45°F | 20°F | 14% | 5% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 45°F | 20°F | 14% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 7 | 45°F | 19°F | 14% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 8 | 44°F | 19°F | 14% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 9 | 44°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 10 | 44°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 11 | 44°F | 19°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 12 | 44°F | 18°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 13 | 44°F | 18°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 14 | 44°F | 18°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 15 | 43°F | 18°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 16 | 43°F | 18°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 17 | 43°F | 18°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 18 | 43°F | 18°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 19 | 43°F | 18°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 20 | 43°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 21 | 43°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 22 | 43°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 23 | 43°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 24 | 43°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 25 | 43°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 26 | 44°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 27 | 44°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 28 | 44°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 29 | 44°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 30 | 44°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 31 | 44°F | 17°F | 13% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 44°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 18°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.47 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 40.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 7.5 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 9 h 30 min to 9 h 20 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 76%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00053005; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Fort Collins in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 13% on average, highest around December 1 (14%). In all, 0.47 in falls on 4 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Fort Collins, 30 nights fall to freezing, 4 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 7.5 inches.
Snow falls on 4 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 11 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00053005.
What are the records for December in Fort Collins?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 76°F, on December 11, 1939; the coldest is −35°F, on December 9, 1919. The wettest December brought 4.08 in (1913); the snowiest, 38.8 inches (1913).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 31.1°F: 2021 36.6°F (+5.5), 2022 29.3°F (−1.8), 2023 37.3°F (+6.2), 2024 38.2°F (+7.1), 2025 42.3°F (+11.2). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36.6°F | +5.5°F | 0.55 in |
| 2022 | 29.3°F | −1.8°F | 0.32 in |
| 2023 | 37.3°F | +6.2°F | 0.14 in |
| 2024 | 38.2°F | +7.1°F | 0.00 in |
| 2025 | 42.3°F | +11.2°F | 0.49 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00053005; recent months: ACIS, station USC00053005. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Fort Collins compare across Colorado?
Across the 125 places PlainClimate covers in Colorado, December normal highs run from 27°F in Crested Butte to 49°F in Campo; Fort Collins's is 44°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Fort Collins in November53°F by day, 26°F at night
- Fort Collins in January45°F by day, 18°F at night
- Fort Collins through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Colorado in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Campo: Colorado's warmest Decembernormal high 49°F