Lowell weather in December: Lowell, Massachusetts: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Lowell in December has a normal high of 40°F and a normal low of 22°F, a daily mean of 31°F, falling from 45°F on the 1st to 36°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal December, 4.54 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 4°C and low of −5°C, 115 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationLowell
- Station IDUSC00194313
- Location42.64°N 71.36°W
- Elevation110 ft (34 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population120,418
- Jan 34° 16°
- Feb 37° 17°
- Mar 45° 24°
- Apr 59° 35°
- May 70° 45°
- Jun 79° 55°
- Jul 85° 61°
- Aug 83° 59°
- Sep 76° 52°
- Oct 62° 40°
- Nov 51° 30°
- Dec 40° 22°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Lowell in December?
The normal high is 40°F and the normal low 22°F, for a daily mean of 31.0°F. December is 9.4°F cooler than November and 6.1°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Lowell and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 9°F, from 45°F on December 1 to 36°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 27°F and 35°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 36%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 45°F | 26°F | 36% | 26% |
| December 8 | 42°F | 24°F | 36% | 26% |
| December 15 | 40°F | 22°F | 36% | 26% |
| December 22 | 38°F | 21°F | 35% | 26% |
| December 31 | 36°F | 18°F | 35% | 26% |
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 | 45°F | 26°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 44°F | 26°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 44°F | 26°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 44°F | 25°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 43°F | 25°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 43°F | 25°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 43°F | 24°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 42°F | 24°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 42°F | 24°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 42°F | 24°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 41°F | 23°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 41°F | 23°F | 36% | 25% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 41°F | 23°F | 36% | 25% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 40°F | 23°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 40°F | 22°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 16 | 40°F | 22°F | 36% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 17 | 39°F | 22°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 18 | 39°F | 22°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 19 | 39°F | 21°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 20 | 38°F | 21°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 21 | 38°F | 21°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 22 | 38°F | 21°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 23 | 38°F | 20°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 24 | 37°F | 20°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 25 | 37°F | 20°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 26 | 37°F | 20°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 27 | 37°F | 19°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 28 | 36°F | 19°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 29 | 36°F | 19°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 30 | 36°F | 19°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h |
| December 31 | 36°F | 18°F | 35% | 26% | 9 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 40°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 22°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 4.54 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 66%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00194313; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Lowell in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 35% on average, highest around December 1 (36%). In all, 4.54 in falls on 11 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Lowell, 27 nights fall to freezing and 7 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00194313.
What are the records for December in Lowell?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1885) is 76°F, on December 8, 1998; the coldest is −20°F, on December 30, 1917. The wettest December brought 8.79 in (1969); the snowiest, 34.1 inches (2007).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 31.0°F: 2021 35.6°F (+4.6), 2022 33.8°F (+2.8), 2024 31.1°F (+0.1), 2025 27.0°F (−4.0). 3 of 4 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35.6°F | +4.6°F | 3.15 in |
| 2022 | 33.8°F | +2.8°F | 4.85 in |
| 2024 | 31.1°F | +0.1°F | 3.74 in |
| 2025 | 27.0°F | −4.0°F | 2.86 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00194313; recent months: ACIS, station USC00194313. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Lowell compare across Massachusetts?
Across the 35 places PlainClimate covers in Massachusetts, December normal highs run from 36°F in Pittsfield to 46°F in Edgartown; Lowell's is 40°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.