New Bedford weather in December: New Bedford, Massachusetts: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
New Bedford in December has a normal high of 44°F and a normal low of 26°F, a daily mean of 35°F, falling from 48°F on the 1st to 41°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal December, 4.12 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 7°C and low of −3°C, 105 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationNew Bedford Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00094726
- Location41.68°N 70.96°W
- Elevation80 ft (24 m)
- From the center1 miles
- Population101,318
- Jan 39° 21°
- Feb 41° 22°
- Mar 47° 28°
- Apr 57° 36°
- May 67° 46°
- Jun 76° 55°
- Jul 83° 62°
- Aug 81° 60°
- Sep 74° 52°
- Oct 64° 42°
- Nov 54° 33°
- Dec 44° 26°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is New Bedford in December?
The normal high is 44°F and the normal low 26°F, for a daily mean of 35.0°F. December is 8.4°F cooler than November and 5.1°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in New Bedford and the 4th 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 3.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 32°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 40%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 48°F | 30°F | 39% | 23% |
| December 8 | 46°F | 28°F | 39% | 24% |
| December 15 | 44°F | 26°F | 39% | 24% |
| December 22 | 42°F | 25°F | 39% | 24% |
| December 31 | 41°F | 23°F | 38% | 24% |
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 | 39% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 48°F | 29°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 48°F | 29°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 47°F | 29°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 5 | 47°F | 29°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 6 | 47°F | 28°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 7 | 46°F | 28°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 8 | 46°F | 28°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 9 | 46°F | 28°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 10 | 46°F | 27°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 45°F | 27°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 45°F | 27°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 45°F | 27°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 44°F | 26°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 44°F | 26°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 16 | 44°F | 26°F | 40% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 17 | 44°F | 26°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 18 | 43°F | 26°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 19 | 43°F | 25°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 20 | 43°F | 25°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 21 | 43°F | 25°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 22 | 42°F | 25°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 23 | 42°F | 24°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 24 | 42°F | 24°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 25 | 42°F | 24°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 26 | 42°F | 24°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 27 | 41°F | 24°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 28 | 41°F | 23°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 29 | 41°F | 23°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 30 | 41°F | 23°F | 39% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 41°F | 23°F | 38% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 44°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 26°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 4.12 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 24
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 65%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094726; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in New Bedford in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 39% on average, highest around December 16 (40%). In all, 4.12 in falls on 12 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in New Bedford, 24 nights fall to freezing and 3 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094726.
What are the records for December in New Bedford?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1996) is 70°F, on December 7, 1998; the coldest is 3°F, on December 31, 2017. The wettest December brought 6.43 in (2019).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 35.0°F: 2021 39.7°F (+4.7), 2022 36.9°F (+1.9), 2023 40.7°F (+5.7), 2024 35.4°F (+0.4), 2025 30.2°F (−4.8). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 39.7°F | +4.7°F | 0.53 in |
| 2022 | 36.9°F | +1.9°F | 5.22 in |
| 2023 | 40.7°F | +5.7°F | 4.84 in |
| 2024 | 35.4°F | +0.4°F | 6.15 in |
| 2025 | 30.2°F | −4.8°F | 2.36 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00094726; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094726. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in New Bedford 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; New Bedford's is 44°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- New Bedford in November54°F by day, 33°F at night
- New Bedford in January39°F by day, 21°F at night
- New Bedford through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Massachusetts in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Edgartown: Massachusetts's warmest Decembernormal high 46°F