Rochester weather in December: Rochester, New York: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Rochester in December has a normal high of 39°F and a normal low of 25°F, a daily mean of 32°F, falling from 43°F on the 1st to 35°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 18 days in a normal December, 2.67 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 4°C and low of −4°C, 68 mm of precipitation and 57 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationFrederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014768
- Location43.12°N 77.68°W
- Elevation533 ft (163 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population207,282
- Jan 33° 19°
- Feb 35° 20°
- Mar 44° 27°
- Apr 57° 37°
- May 69° 48°
- Jun 78° 57°
- Jul 83° 62°
- Aug 81° 61°
- Sep 74° 54°
- Oct 61° 43°
- Nov 49° 34°
- Dec 39° 25°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Rochester in December?
The normal high is 39°F and the normal low 25°F, for a daily mean of 32.0°F. December is 9.5°F cooler than November and 5.8°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Rochester and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 43°F on December 1 to 35°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 28°F and 36°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 62%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 43°F | 29°F | 55% | 24% |
| December 8 | 41°F | 27°F | 57% | 24% |
| December 15 | 39°F | 26°F | 59% | 24% |
| December 22 | 37°F | 24°F | 61% | 24% |
| December 31 | 35°F | 22°F | 62% | 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 | 43°F | 29°F | 55% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 43°F | 29°F | 56% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 42°F | 29°F | 56% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 42°F | 29°F | 56% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 42°F | 28°F | 57% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 41°F | 28°F | 57% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 41°F | 28°F | 57% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 41°F | 27°F | 57% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 40°F | 27°F | 58% | 24% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 40°F | 27°F | 58% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 11 | 40°F | 27°F | 58% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 12 | 39°F | 26°F | 59% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 13 | 39°F | 26°F | 59% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 14 | 39°F | 26°F | 59% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 15 | 39°F | 26°F | 59% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 16 | 38°F | 25°F | 60% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 17 | 38°F | 25°F | 60% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 18 | 38°F | 25°F | 60% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 19 | 38°F | 25°F | 60% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 20 | 37°F | 24°F | 60% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 21 | 37°F | 24°F | 61% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 22 | 37°F | 24°F | 61% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 23 | 37°F | 24°F | 61% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 24 | 36°F | 23°F | 61% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 25 | 36°F | 23°F | 61% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 26 | 36°F | 23°F | 61% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 27 | 36°F | 23°F | 62% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 28 | 36°F | 22°F | 62% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 29 | 35°F | 22°F | 62% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 30 | 35°F | 22°F | 62% | 24% | 9 h |
| December 31 | 35°F | 22°F | 62% | 24% | 9 h |
- Normal high
- 39°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 25°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 2.67 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 180.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 22.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 25
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 49%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014768; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Rochester in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 59% on average, highest around December 31 (62%). In all, 2.67 in falls on 18 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Rochester, 25 nights fall to freezing, 9 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 22.3 inches.
Snow falls on 14 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 14 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014768.
How humid and windy is Rochester in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 32°F with 67% relative humidity and a dew point of 22°F; at 6 a.m. it is 27°F with 77% humidity. The wind averages 10.6 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 27°F | 21°F | 77% | 10.0 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 28°F | 21°F | 76% | 10.4 mph | – |
| noon | 31°F | 22°F | 69% | 12.5 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 32°F | 22°F | 67% | 12.1 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 30°F | 22°F | 73% | 10.0 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 28°F | 22°F | 76% | 9.9 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014768. 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 Rochester?
The warmest December temperature on Rochester's official record (since 1872) is 72°F, on December 3, 1982; the coldest is −16°F, on December 20, 1942. The wettest December brought 6.17 in (1878); the snowiest, 46.5 inches (2010).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 32.0°F: 2021 36.7°F (+4.7), 2022 32.0°F (at normal), 2023 39.9°F (+7.9), 2024 32.8°F (+0.8), 2025 27.2°F (−4.8). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36.7°F | +4.7°F | 2.02 in |
| 2022 | 32.0°F | at normal | 2.14 in |
| 2023 | 39.9°F | +7.9°F | 2.91 in |
| 2024 | 32.8°F | +0.8°F | 2.48 in |
| 2025 | 27.2°F | −4.8°F | 3.12 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ROCthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014768. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Rochester compare across New York?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in New York, December normal highs run from 29°F in Lake Placid to 47°F in Wantagh; Rochester's is 39°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.