Payson weather in December: Payson, Arizona: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Payson in December has a normal high of 55°F and a normal low of 26°F, a daily mean of 40°F, falling from 58°F on the 1st to 55°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 6 days in a normal December, 2.09 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 13°C and low of −4°C, 53 mm of precipitation and 9 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationPayson
- Station IDUSW00093139
- Location34.23°N 111.34°W
- Elevation4,850 ft (1,478 m)
- Population16,762
- Jan 56° 26°
- Feb 59° 28°
- Mar 65° 32°
- Apr 72° 36°
- May 80° 43°
- Jun 90° 51°
- Jul 93° 60°
- Aug 91° 59°
- Sep 86° 52°
- Oct 76° 41°
- Nov 64° 31°
- Dec 55° 26°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Payson in December?
The normal high is 55°F and the normal low 26°F, for a daily mean of 40.2°F. December is 7.5°F cooler than November and 0.8°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in Payson and the 5th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 3°F, from 58°F on December 1 to 55°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 1.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 38°F and 42°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 18%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 58°F | 27°F | 15% | 10% |
| December 8 | 56°F | 26°F | 17% | 11% |
| December 15 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 12% |
| December 22 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% |
| December 31 | 55°F | 26°F | 18% | 13% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 16)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 58°F | 27°F | 15% | 10% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 57°F | 27°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 57°F | 27°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 4 | 57°F | 26°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 5 | 56°F | 26°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 6 | 56°F | 26°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 7 | 56°F | 26°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 8 | 56°F | 26°F | 17% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 9 | 55°F | 26°F | 17% | 12% | 10 h |
| December 10 | 55°F | 26°F | 17% | 12% | 10 h |
| December 11 | 55°F | 26°F | 17% | 12% | 10 h |
| December 12 | 55°F | 26°F | 17% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 55°F | 25°F | 18% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 54°F | 25°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 55°F | 26°F | 18% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 55°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 26°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 2.09 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 60.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 3.6 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 81%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093139; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Payson in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 17% on average, highest around December 23 (18%). In all, 2.09 in falls on 6 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Payson, 27 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 3.6 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 1 day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093139.
What are the records for December in Payson?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1940) is 77°F, on December 9, 1950; the coldest is −7°F, on December 22, 1968. The wettest December brought 9.07 in (1967); the snowiest, 77.0 inches (1967).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 40.2°F: 2021 42.8°F (+2.6), 2022 39.8°F (−0.4), 2023 42.0°F (+1.8), 2024 44.0°F (+3.8), 2025 46.7°F (+6.5). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 42.8°F | +2.6°F | 4.05 in |
| 2022 | 39.8°F | −0.4°F | 2.42 in |
| 2023 | 42.0°F | +1.8°F | 1.96 in |
| 2024 | 44.0°F | +3.8°F | 0.00 in |
| 2025 | 46.7°F | +6.5°F | 0.27 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093139; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093139. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Payson compare across Arizona?
Across the 97 places PlainClimate covers in Arizona, December normal highs run from 41°F in Lukachukai to 70°F in Gila Bend; Payson's is 55°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.