Joshua Tree weather in December: Joshua Tree, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Joshua Tree in December has a normal high of 60°F and a normal low of 36°F, a daily mean of 48°F, falling from 62°F on the 1st to 59°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 4 days in a normal December, 0.46 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 15°C and low of 2°C, 12 mm of precipitation and 2 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationJoshua Tree
- Station IDUSC00044405
- Location34.15°N 116.27°W
- Elevation2,563 ft (781 m)
- Population (census place)6,767
- Jan 60° 38°
- Feb 63° 39°
- Mar 70° 43°
- Apr 77° 47°
- May 86° 54°
- Jun 95° 61°
- Jul 102° 70°
- Aug 100° 70°
- Sep 93° 64°
- Oct 82° 52°
- Nov 69° 43°
- Dec 60° 36°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Joshua Tree in December?
The normal high is 60°F and the normal low 36°F, for a daily mean of 47.6°F. December is 8.4°F cooler than November and 1.5°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in Joshua Tree and the 3rd wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 3°F, from 62°F on December 1 to 59°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 1.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 46°F and 50°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 11%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 62°F | 38°F | 9% | 3% |
| December 8 | 60°F | 36°F | 10% | 4% |
| December 15 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% |
| December 22 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% |
| December 31 | 59°F | 36°F | 11% | 5% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 16)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 62°F | 38°F | 9% | 3% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 62°F | 37°F | 9% | 3% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 61°F | 37°F | 9% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 4 | 61°F | 37°F | 10% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 5 | 61°F | 37°F | 10% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 6 | 61°F | 36°F | 10% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 7 | 60°F | 36°F | 10% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 8 | 60°F | 36°F | 10% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 9 | 60°F | 36°F | 10% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 10 | 60°F | 35°F | 10% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 11 | 60°F | 35°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 12 | 60°F | 35°F | 11% | 4% | 10 h |
| December 13 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 4% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 4% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 59°F | 35°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 59°F | 36°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 59°F | 36°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 59°F | 36°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 59°F | 36°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 59°F | 36°F | 11% | 5% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 60°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 36°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.46 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 40.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.6 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 9
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 4
- Sunshine
- 86%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00044405; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Joshua Tree in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 11% on average, highest around December 21 (11%). In all, 0.46 in falls on 4 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Joshua Tree, 9 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.6 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00044405.
What are the records for December in Joshua Tree?
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 47.6°F: 2021 47.4°F (−0.2), 2022 47.7°F (+0.1), 2023 51.8°F (+4.2), 2024 54.4°F (+6.8), 2025 56.4°F (+8.8). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 47.4°F | −0.2°F | 1.21 in |
| 2022 | 47.7°F | +0.1°F | 0.21 in |
| 2023 | 51.8°F | +4.2°F | 0.31 in |
| 2024 | 54.4°F | +6.8°F | 0.00 in |
| 2025 | 56.4°F | +8.8°F | 0.43 in |
Source: recent months: ACIS, station USC00044405. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Joshua Tree compare across California?
Across the 219 places PlainClimate covers in California, December normal highs run from 38°F in Tahoma to 71°F in Anaheim; Joshua Tree's is 60°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Joshua Tree in November69°F by day, 43°F at night
- Joshua Tree in January60°F by day, 38°F at night
- Joshua Tree through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- California in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Anaheim: California's warmest Decembernormal high 71°F