Lake Placid weather in December: Lake Placid, New York: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Lake Placid in December has a normal high of 29°F and a normal low of 14°F, a daily mean of 21°F, falling from 33°F on the 1st to 25°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 19 days in a normal December, 3.50 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −2°C and low of −10°C, 89 mm of precipitation and 58 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationLake Placid (2 mi S)
- Station IDUSC00304555
- Location44.30°N 73.98°W
- Elevation1,888 ft (576 m)
- Population2,302
- Jan 23° 7°
- Feb 27° 8°
- Mar 36° 16°
- Apr 49° 29°
- May 62° 40°
- Jun 70° 49°
- Jul 74° 54°
- Aug 73° 52°
- Sep 66° 45°
- Oct 52° 35°
- Nov 40° 25°
- Dec 29° 14°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Lake Placid in December?
The normal high is 29°F and the normal low 14°F, for a daily mean of 21.0°F. December is 11.2°F cooler than November and 6.1°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Lake Placid and the 7th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 33°F on December 1 to 25°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 17°F and 25°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 61%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 33°F | 19°F | 57% | 30% |
| December 8 | 31°F | 16°F | 59% | 30% |
| December 15 | 29°F | 14°F | 60% | 30% |
| December 22 | 27°F | 12°F | 61% | 30% |
| December 31 | 25°F | 9°F | 61% | 30% |
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 | 33°F | 19°F | 57% | 30% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 33°F | 19°F | 57% | 30% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 33°F | 18°F | 58% | 30% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 32°F | 18°F | 58% | 30% | 9 h |
| December 5 | 32°F | 17°F | 58% | 30% | 9 h |
| December 6 | 32°F | 17°F | 58% | 30% | 9 h |
| December 7 | 31°F | 17°F | 59% | 30% | 9 h |
| December 8 | 31°F | 16°F | 59% | 30% | 9 h |
| December 9 | 31°F | 16°F | 59% | 30% | 9 h |
| December 10 | 30°F | 16°F | 59% | 30% | 9 h |
| December 11 | 30°F | 15°F | 59% | 30% | 9 h |
| December 12 | 30°F | 15°F | 59% | 30% | 9 h |
| December 13 | 29°F | 14°F | 59% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 29°F | 14°F | 59% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 29°F | 14°F | 60% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 28°F | 13°F | 60% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 28°F | 13°F | 60% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 28°F | 13°F | 60% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 27°F | 12°F | 60% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 27°F | 12°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 27°F | 12°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 27°F | 12°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 26°F | 11°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 26°F | 11°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 26°F | 11°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 26°F | 10°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 25°F | 10°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 25°F | 10°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 25°F | 10°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 25°F | 9°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 25°F | 9°F | 61% | 30% | 8 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 29°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 14°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.50 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 190.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 22.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 8 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 54%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00304555; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Lake Placid in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 60% on average, highest around December 31 (61%). In all, 3.50 in falls on 19 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Lake Placid, 29 nights fall to freezing, 16 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 22.7 inches.
Snow falls on 12 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 26 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00304555.
What are the records for December in Lake Placid?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1897) is 63°F, on December 6, 2001; the coldest is −39°F, on December 30, 1917. The wettest December brought 6.58 in (1983); the snowiest, 61.5 inches (1969).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 21.0°F: 2021 24.4°F (+3.4), 2022 24.1°F (+3.1), 2023 28.1°F (+7.1), 2025 15.3°F (−5.7). 3 of 4 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 24.4°F | +3.4°F | 3.65 in |
| 2022 | 24.1°F | +3.1°F | 5.58 in |
| 2023 | 28.1°F | +7.1°F | 6.25 in |
| 2025 | 15.3°F | −5.7°F | 5.11 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00304555; recent months: ACIS, station USC00304555. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Lake Placid compare across New York?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in New York, December normal highs run from 29°F in Lake Placid to 47°F in Wantagh; Lake Placid's is 29°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Lake Placid in November40°F by day, 25°F at night
- Lake Placid in January23°F by day, 7°F at night
- Lake Placid through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- New York in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Wantagh: New York's warmest Decembernormal high 47°F