Kotzebue weather in December: Kotzebue, Alaska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Kotzebue in December has a normal high of 9°F and a normal low of −4°F, a daily mean of 2°F, falling from 12°F on the 1st to 5°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 0.73 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −13°C and low of −20°C, 19 mm of precipitation and 30 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationKotzebue Airport
- Station IDUSW00026616
- Location66.87°N 162.63°W
- Elevation30 ft (9 m)
- Population2,889
- Jan 5° -8°
- Feb 9° -6°
- Mar 9° -6°
- Apr 24° 9°
- May 39° 27°
- Jun 53° 42°
- Jul 60° 51°
- Aug 57° 48°
- Sep 48° 39°
- Oct 31° 23°
- Nov 16° 6°
- Dec 9° -4°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Kotzebue in December?
The normal high is 9°F and the normal low −4°F, for a daily mean of 2.4°F. December is 8.4°F cooler than November and 4.3°F warmer than January. December is the 9th warmest month of the year in Kotzebue and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 7°F, from 12°F on December 1 to 5°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 6.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between -4°F and 9°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 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 12°F | 0°F | 34% | 9% |
| December 8 | 10°F | −2°F | 34% | 8% |
| December 15 | 9°F | −4°F | 33% | 7% |
| December 22 | 7°F | −5°F | 32% | 7% |
| December 31 | 5°F | −7°F | 30% | 7% |
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 | 12°F | 0°F | 34% | 9% | 3 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 11°F | −1°F | 34% | 9% | 3 h 30 min |
| December 3 | 11°F | −1°F | 34% | 9% | 3 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 11°F | −1°F | 34% | 9% | 3 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 11°F | −1°F | 34% | 9% | 3 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 11°F | −2°F | 34% | 9% | 3 h |
| December 7 | 10°F | −2°F | 34% | 9% | 2 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 10°F | −2°F | 34% | 8% | 2 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 10°F | −2°F | 34% | 8% | 2 h 40 min |
| December 10 | 10°F | −3°F | 34% | 8% | 2 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 10°F | −3°F | 34% | 8% | 2 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 10°F | −3°F | 33% | 8% | 2 h 20 min |
| December 13 | 9°F | −3°F | 33% | 8% | 2 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 9°F | −3°F | 33% | 7% | 2 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 9°F | −4°F | 33% | 7% | 2 h |
| December 16 | 9°F | −4°F | 33% | 7% | 2 h |
| December 17 | 9°F | −4°F | 33% | 7% | 2 h |
| December 18 | 8°F | −4°F | 33% | 7% | 1 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 8°F | −4°F | 33% | 7% | 1 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 8°F | −5°F | 32% | 7% | 1 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 8°F | −5°F | 32% | 7% | 1 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 7°F | −5°F | 32% | 7% | 1 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 7°F | −5°F | 32% | 7% | 1 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 7°F | −5°F | 32% | 7% | 1 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 7°F | −6°F | 31% | 7% | 1 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 7°F | −6°F | 31% | 7% | 1 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 6°F | −6°F | 31% | 7% | 1 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 6°F | −6°F | 31% | 7% | 2 h |
| December 29 | 6°F | −7°F | 31% | 7% | 2 h |
| December 30 | 6°F | −7°F | 31% | 7% | 2 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 5°F | −7°F | 30% | 7% | 2 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 9°FDecember average
- Normal low
- −4°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.73 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 11.9 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 3 h 40 min to 2 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00026616; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Kotzebue in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around December 1 (34%). In all, 0.73 in falls on 10 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Kotzebue, 31 nights fall to freezing, 30 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 11.9 inches.
Snow falls on 11 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 30 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00026616.
How humid and windy is Kotzebue in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 2°F with 81% relative humidity and a dew point of −3°F; at 6 a.m. it is 2°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 11.5 mph, most often from the east in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 2°F | −3°F | 80% | 11.5 mph | 55% |
| 9 a.m. | 2°F | −3°F | 81% | 11.6 mph | 43% |
| noon | 2°F | −3°F | 79% | 11.4 mph | 41% |
| 3 p.m. | 2°F | −3°F | 81% | 11.6 mph | 36% |
| 6 p.m. | 2°F | −3°F | 78% | 11.4 mph | 47% |
| 9 p.m. | 1°F | −3°F | 81% | 11.5 mph | 52% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026616. 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 Kotzebue?
The warmest December temperature on Kotzebue's official record (since 1902) is 39°F, on December 11, 2024; the coldest is −47°F, on December 26, 1957. The wettest December brought 2.52 in (2021); the snowiest, 34.9 inches (2011).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 2.4°F: 2021 0.5°F (−1.9), 2022 7.0°F (+4.6), 2023 -0.8°F (−3.3), 2024 7.6°F (+5.2), 2025 -1.1°F (−3.5). 2 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0.5°F | −1.9°F | 2.52 in |
| 2022 | 7.0°F | +4.6°F | 1.23 in |
| 2023 | -0.8°F | −3.3°F | 0.63 in |
| 2024 | 7.6°F | +5.2°F | 0.40 in |
| 2025 | -1.1°F | −3.5°F | 0.49 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record OTZthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00026616. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Kotzebue 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; Kotzebue's is 9°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.