Lancaster weather in December: Lancaster, Pennsylvania: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Lancaster in December has a normal high of 44°F and a normal low of 27°F, a daily mean of 35°F, falling from 48°F on the 1st to 41°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 3.13 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 7°C and low of −3°C, 80 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationLancaster Airport
- Station IDUSW00054737
- Location40.12°N 76.29°W
- Elevation403 ft (123 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population58,441
- Jan 40° 22°
- Feb 42° 23°
- Mar 52° 31°
- Apr 64° 40°
- May 74° 50°
- Jun 82° 60°
- Jul 86° 65°
- Aug 85° 63°
- Sep 78° 56°
- Oct 66° 44°
- Nov 54° 34°
- Dec 44° 27°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Lancaster in December?
The normal high is 44°F and the normal low 27°F, for a daily mean of 35.4°F. December is 8.8°F cooler than November and 4.8°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Lancaster and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 7°F, from 48°F on December 1 to 41°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 31°F and 39°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 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% |
| December 8 | 46°F | 28°F | 34% | 21% |
| December 15 | 44°F | 27°F | 34% | 21% |
| December 22 | 43°F | 25°F | 34% | 20% |
| December 31 | 41°F | 24°F | 33% | 19% |
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 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 2 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 3 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 4 | 47°F | 29°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 5 | 47°F | 29°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 47°F | 29°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 46°F | 29°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 46°F | 28°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 46°F | 28°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 10 | 45°F | 28°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 11 | 45°F | 28°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 12 | 45°F | 28°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 13 | 45°F | 27°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 14 | 44°F | 27°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 15 | 44°F | 27°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 16 | 44°F | 27°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 17 | 44°F | 26°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 18 | 43°F | 26°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 19 | 43°F | 26°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 20 | 43°F | 26°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 21 | 43°F | 26°F | 34% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 22 | 43°F | 25°F | 34% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 23 | 42°F | 25°F | 34% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 24 | 42°F | 25°F | 34% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 25 | 42°F | 25°F | 34% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 26 | 42°F | 25°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 27 | 42°F | 24°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 28 | 41°F | 24°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 29 | 41°F | 24°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 30 | 41°F | 24°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 31 | 41°F | 24°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 44°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 27°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.13 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 23
- Daylight
- 9 h 30 min to 9 h 20 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 60%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00054737; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Lancaster in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 34% on average, highest around December 13 (34%). In all, 3.13 in falls on 10 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Lancaster, 23 nights fall to freezing and 4 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00054737.
What are the records for December in Lancaster?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1999) is 73°F, on December 5, 2001; the coldest is −1°F, on December 7, 2002. The wettest December brought 6.25 in (2023).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 35.4°F: 2021 41.4°F (+6.0), 2022 35.4°F (at normal), 2023 41.5°F (+6.1), 2024 34.8°F (−0.6), 2025 30.2°F (−5.2). 2 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 41.4°F | +6.0°F | 0.80 in |
| 2022 | 35.4°F | at normal | 3.86 in |
| 2023 | 41.5°F | +6.1°F | 6.25 in |
| 2024 | 34.8°F | −0.6°F | 3.40 in |
| 2025 | 30.2°F | −5.2°F | 1.73 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00054737; recent months: ACIS, station USW00054737. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Lancaster 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; Lancaster's is 44°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Lancaster in November54°F by day, 34°F at night
- Lancaster in January40°F by day, 22°F at night
- Lancaster through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Pennsylvania in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Marcus Hook: Pennsylvania's warmest Decembernormal high 48°F