Ruidoso weather in December: Ruidoso, New Mexico: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Ruidoso in December has a normal high of 48°F and a normal low of 22°F, a daily mean of 35°F, falling from 51°F on the 1st to 48°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 5 days in a normal December, 1.54 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 9°C and low of −6°C, 39 mm of precipitation and 18 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationRuidoso
- Station IDUSC00297649
- Location33.37°N 105.66°W
- Elevation6,930 ft (2,112 m)
- From the center1 miles
- Population7,640
- Jan 49° 21°
- Feb 51° 23°
- Mar 58° 27°
- Apr 65° 33°
- May 73° 40°
- Jun 82° 47°
- Jul 81° 51°
- Aug 79° 50°
- Sep 75° 44°
- Oct 67° 35°
- Nov 56° 26°
- Dec 48° 22°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Ruidoso in December?
The normal high is 48°F and the normal low 22°F, for a daily mean of 34.9°F. December is 6.0°F cooler than November and 0.2°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Ruidoso and the 6th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 3°F, from 51°F on December 1 to 48°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 2.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 33°F and 37°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 16%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 51°F | 23°F | 15% | 11% |
| December 8 | 49°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% |
| December 15 | 48°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% |
| December 22 | 48°F | 21°F | 16% | 11% |
| December 31 | 48°F | 21°F | 15% | 10% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 30)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 51°F | 23°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 50°F | 23°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 50°F | 23°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 50°F | 23°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 5 | 50°F | 23°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 6 | 49°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 7 | 49°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 8 | 49°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 9 | 49°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 10 | 49°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 11 | 49°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 12 | 48°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 13 | 48°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 14 | 48°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 15 | 48°F | 22°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 16 | 48°F | 21°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 17 | 48°F | 21°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 18 | 48°F | 21°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 19 | 48°F | 21°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 20 | 48°F | 21°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 21 | 48°F | 21°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 22 | 48°F | 21°F | 16% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 23 | 48°F | 21°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 24 | 48°F | 21°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 25 | 48°F | 21°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 26 | 48°F | 21°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 27 | 48°F | 21°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 28 | 48°F | 21°F | 15% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 29 | 48°F | 21°F | 15% | 10% | 10 h |
| December 30 | 48°F | 21°F | 15% | 10% | 10 h |
| December 31 | 48°F | 21°F | 15% | 10% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 48°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 22°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.54 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 50.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 7.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 10 h 10 min to 10 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 84%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00297649; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Ruidoso in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 15% on average, highest around December 8 (16%). In all, 1.54 in falls on 5 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Ruidoso, 27 nights fall to freezing, 1 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 7.2 inches.
Snow falls on 3 days in a normal December.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00297649.
What are the records for December in Ruidoso?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1941) is 73°F, on December 28, 1980; the coldest is −24°F, on December 24, 1953. The wettest December brought 8.88 in (1978); the snowiest, 35.4 inches (1987).
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00297649. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Ruidoso compare across New Mexico?
Across the 98 places PlainClimate covers in New Mexico, December normal highs run from 35°F in Red River to 60°F in Jal; Ruidoso's is 48°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.