South Lake Tahoe weather in December: South Lake Tahoe, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
South Lake Tahoe in December has a normal high of 43°F and a normal low of 18°F, a daily mean of 30°F, falling from 45°F on the 1st to 42°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal December, 3.49 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 6°C and low of −8°C, 89 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationSouth Lake Tahoe Airport
- Station IDUSW00093230
- Location38.90°N 119.99°W
- Elevation6,314 ft (1,925 m)
- Population21,225
- Jan 43° 18°
- Feb 43° 19°
- Mar 48° 24°
- Apr 53° 28°
- May 62° 33°
- Jun 72° 38°
- Jul 80° 43°
- Aug 80° 41°
- Sep 73° 35°
- Oct 62° 29°
- Nov 51° 23°
- Dec 43° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is South Lake Tahoe in December?
The normal high is 43°F and the normal low 18°F, for a daily mean of 30.4°F. December is 6.7°F cooler than November and 0.2°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in South Lake Tahoe and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 3°F, from 45°F on December 1 to 42°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 2.8°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 28°F and 33°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 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 45°F | 20°F | 30% | 18% |
| December 8 | 43°F | 19°F | 32% | 18% |
| December 15 | 42°F | 18°F | 34% | 19% |
| December 22 | 42°F | 17°F | 34% | 19% |
| December 31 | 42°F | 18°F | 32% | 18% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 21)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 45°F | 20°F | 30% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 45°F | 20°F | 31% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 45°F | 20°F | 31% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 44°F | 19°F | 31% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 44°F | 19°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 44°F | 19°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 44°F | 19°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 43°F | 19°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 43°F | 18°F | 33% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 43°F | 18°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 43°F | 18°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 43°F | 18°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 43°F | 18°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 42°F | 18°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 42°F | 18°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 42°F | 18°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 42°F | 18°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 42°F | 17°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 42°F | 17°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 42°F | 17°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 42°F | 17°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 42°F | 17°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 42°F | 17°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 42°F | 17°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 42°F | 17°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 42°F | 17°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 42°F | 17°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 42°F | 17°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 42°F | 18°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 42°F | 18°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 42°F | 18°F | 32% | 18% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 43°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 18°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.49 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 9 h 40 min to 9 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093230; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in South Lake Tahoe in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around December 16 (34%). In all, 3.49 in falls on 11 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in South Lake Tahoe, 29 nights fall to freezing and 3 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093230.
What are the records for December in South Lake Tahoe?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1968) is 64°F, on December 1, 2008; the coldest is −29°F, on December 9, 1972. The wettest December brought 13.83 in (2005); the snowiest, 27.2 inches (2015).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 30.4°F: 2021 28.1°F (−2.3), 2022 26.8°F (−3.6), 2023 33.7°F (+3.3), 2024 33.7°F (+3.3), 2025 35.8°F (+5.4). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 28.1°F | −2.3°F | 6.82 in |
| 2022 | 26.8°F | −3.6°F | 13.62 in |
| 2023 | 33.7°F | +3.3°F | 1.60 in |
| 2024 | 33.7°F | +3.3°F | 2.22 in |
| 2025 | 35.8°F | +5.4°F | 6.69 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093230; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093230. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in South Lake Tahoe compare across California?
Across the 219 places PlainClimate covers in California, December normal highs run from 38°F in Tahoma to 71°F in Anaheim; South Lake Tahoe's is 43°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- South Lake Tahoe in November51°F by day, 23°F at night
- South Lake Tahoe in January43°F by day, 18°F at night
- South Lake Tahoe through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- California in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Anaheim: California's warmest Decembernormal high 71°F