New Orleans weather in December: New Orleans, Louisiana: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
New Orleans in December has a normal high of 65°F and a normal low of 48°F, a daily mean of 57°F, falling from 67°F on the 1st to 63°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal December, 4.82 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 18°C and low of 9°C, 122 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationNew Orleans Airport
- Station IDUSW00012916
- Location29.99°N 90.25°W
- Elevation4 ft (1 m)
- From the center19 miles
- Population362,701
- Jan 63° 46°
- Feb 66° 50°
- Mar 72° 55°
- Apr 79° 62°
- May 85° 69°
- Jun 90° 75°
- Jul 91° 77°
- Aug 91° 77°
- Sep 88° 74°
- Oct 81° 64°
- Nov 71° 54°
- Dec 65° 48°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is New Orleans in December?
The normal high is 65°F and the normal low 48°F, for a daily mean of 56.6°F. December is 5.8°F cooler than November and 2.3°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in New Orleans and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 4°F, from 67°F on December 1 to 63°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 54°F and 60°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 31%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 67°F | 50°F | 27% | 18% |
| December 8 | 66°F | 49°F | 28% | 19% |
| December 15 | 65°F | 49°F | 30% | 20% |
| December 22 | 64°F | 48°F | 30% | 21% |
| December 31 | 63°F | 47°F | 31% | 22% |
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 | 67°F | 50°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 67°F | 50°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 67°F | 50°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 67°F | 50°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 5 | 67°F | 50°F | 28% | 18% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 6 | 67°F | 50°F | 28% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 7 | 66°F | 50°F | 28% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 8 | 66°F | 49°F | 28% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 9 | 66°F | 49°F | 28% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 10 | 66°F | 49°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 11 | 66°F | 49°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 12 | 65°F | 49°F | 29% | 20% | 10 h 20 min |
| December 13 | 65°F | 49°F | 29% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 65°F | 49°F | 29% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 65°F | 49°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 16 | 65°F | 48°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 17 | 65°F | 48°F | 30% | 20% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 18 | 64°F | 48°F | 30% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 19 | 64°F | 48°F | 30% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 20 | 64°F | 48°F | 30% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 21 | 64°F | 48°F | 30% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 22 | 64°F | 48°F | 30% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 23 | 64°F | 48°F | 31% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 24 | 64°F | 47°F | 31% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 25 | 63°F | 47°F | 31% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 26 | 63°F | 47°F | 31% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 27 | 63°F | 47°F | 31% | 21% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 28 | 63°F | 47°F | 31% | 22% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 29 | 63°F | 47°F | 31% | 22% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 30 | 63°F | 47°F | 31% | 22% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 63°F | 47°F | 31% | 22% | 10 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 65°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 48°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 4.82 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 1
- Daylight
- 10 h 20 min to 10 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 12
- Days at 80°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00012916; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in New Orleans in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 29% on average, highest around December 31 (31%). In all, 4.82 in falls on 9 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in New Orleans, 1 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00012916.
How humid and windy is New Orleans in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 60°F with 59% relative humidity and a dew point of 46°F; at 6 a.m. it is 50°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 9.1 mph, most often from the north in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 50°F | 45°F | 82% | 8.3 mph | 33% |
| 9 a.m. | 53°F | 46°F | 76% | 9.9 mph | – |
| noon | 59°F | 46°F | 63% | 10.8 mph | 24% |
| 3 p.m. | 60°F | 46°F | 59% | 10.6 mph | 31% |
| 6 p.m. | 56°F | 46°F | 69% | 8.0 mph | 29% |
| 9 p.m. | 53°F | 46°F | 76% | 8.4 mph | 44% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00012916. 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 New Orleans?
The warmest December temperature on New Orleans's official record (since 1946) is 85°F, on December 5, 2017; the coldest is 11°F, on December 23, 1989. The wettest December brought 25.92 in (2009); the snowiest, 2.7 inches (1963).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 56.6°F: 2021 65.6°F (+9.0), 2022 59.0°F (+2.4), 2023 58.0°F (+1.4), 2024 59.1°F (+2.5), 2025 58.0°F (+1.4). 5 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 65.6°F | +9.0°F | 3.07 in |
| 2022 | 59.0°F | +2.4°F | 8.02 in |
| 2023 | 58.0°F | +1.4°F | 9.45 in |
| 2024 | 59.1°F | +2.5°F | 5.33 in |
| 2025 | 58.0°F | +1.4°F | 4.29 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MSYthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00012916. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in New Orleans compare across Louisiana?
Across the 65 places PlainClimate covers in Louisiana, December normal highs run from 56°F in Bastrop to 66°F in Houma; New Orleans's is 65°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- New Orleans in November71°F by day, 54°F at night
- New Orleans in January63°F by day, 46°F at night
- New Orleans through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Louisiana in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Houma: Louisiana's warmest Decembernormal high 66°F