Philadelphia weather in December: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Philadelphia in December has a normal high of 46°F and a normal low of 31°F, a daily mean of 39°F, falling from 50°F on the 1st to 43°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal December, 3.97 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 8°C and low of 0°C, 101 mm of precipitation and 9 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationPhiladelphia International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013739
- Location39.87°N 75.23°W
- Elevation10 ft (3 m)
- From the center11 miles
- Population1,573,916
- Jan 41° 26°
- Feb 44° 28°
- Mar 53° 34°
- Apr 65° 44°
- May 74° 54°
- Jun 83° 64°
- Jul 88° 70°
- Aug 86° 68°
- Sep 79° 61°
- Oct 67° 49°
- Nov 56° 39°
- Dec 46° 31°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Philadelphia in December?
The normal high is 46°F and the normal low 31°F, for a daily mean of 38.6°F. December is 8.8°F cooler than November and 4.9°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Philadelphia and the 5th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 7°F, from 50°F on December 1 to 43°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 35°F and 43°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 | 50°F | 35°F | 33% | 21% |
| December 8 | 48°F | 33°F | 34% | 22% |
| December 15 | 46°F | 31°F | 35% | 22% |
| December 22 | 44°F | 30°F | 35% | 21% |
| December 31 | 43°F | 28°F | 36% | 20% |
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 | 50°F | 35°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 2 | 50°F | 34°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 3 | 50°F | 34°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 4 | 49°F | 34°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 5 | 49°F | 34°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 49°F | 33°F | 34% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 48°F | 33°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 48°F | 33°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 48°F | 33°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 47°F | 33°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 47°F | 32°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 12 | 47°F | 32°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 13 | 47°F | 32°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 14 | 46°F | 32°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 15 | 46°F | 31°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 16 | 46°F | 31°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 17 | 46°F | 31°F | 35% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 18 | 45°F | 31°F | 35% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 19 | 45°F | 31°F | 35% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 20 | 45°F | 30°F | 35% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 21 | 45°F | 30°F | 35% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 22 | 44°F | 30°F | 35% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 23 | 44°F | 30°F | 36% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 24 | 44°F | 29°F | 36% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 25 | 44°F | 29°F | 36% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 26 | 44°F | 29°F | 36% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 27 | 43°F | 29°F | 36% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 28 | 43°F | 29°F | 36% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 29 | 43°F | 28°F | 36% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 30 | 43°F | 28°F | 36% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 31 | 43°F | 28°F | 36% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 46°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 31°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.97 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 3.5 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 17
- Daylight
- 9 h 30 min to 9 h 20 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 68%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013739; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Philadelphia in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 35% on average, highest around December 29 (36%). In all, 3.97 in falls on 11 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Philadelphia, 17 nights fall to freezing, 2 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 3.5 inches.
Snow falls on 2 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 3 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013739.
How humid and windy is Philadelphia in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 41°F with 52% relative humidity and a dew point of 25°F; at 6 a.m. it is 33°F with 70% humidity. The wind averages 9.8 mph, most often from the west-northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 33°F | 25°F | 70% | 8.8 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 35°F | 25°F | 67% | 9.8 mph | – |
| noon | 40°F | 25°F | 56% | 12.1 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 41°F | 25°F | 52% | 12.2 mph | 26% |
| 6 p.m. | 38°F | 25°F | 58% | 9.9 mph | 36% |
| 9 p.m. | 36°F | 25°F | 63% | 9.2 mph | 39% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013739. 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 Philadelphia?
The warmest December temperature on Philadelphia's official record (since 1873) is 73°F, on December 7, 1998; the coldest is −5°F, on December 30, 1880. The wettest December brought 8.86 in (2009); the snowiest, 24.1 inches (2009).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 38.6°F: 2021 45.3°F (+6.7), 2022 37.8°F (−0.8), 2023 43.5°F (+4.9), 2024 38.5°F (−0.1), 2025 35.0°F (−3.6). 2 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 45.3°F | +6.7°F | 1.64 in |
| 2022 | 37.8°F | −0.8°F | 4.85 in |
| 2023 | 43.5°F | +4.9°F | 7.92 in |
| 2024 | 38.5°F | −0.1°F | 3.45 in |
| 2025 | 35.0°F | −3.6°F | 3.35 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record PHLthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013739. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Philadelphia 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; Philadelphia's is 46°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Philadelphia in November56°F by day, 39°F at night
- Philadelphia in January41°F by day, 26°F at night
- Philadelphia 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