Steamboat Springs weather in December: Steamboat Springs, Colorado: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Steamboat Springs in December has a normal high of 30°F and a normal low of 6°F, a daily mean of 18°F, falling from 35°F on the 1st to 28°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal December, 1.96 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −1°C and low of −14°C, 50 mm of precipitation and 91 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationSteamboat Springs
- Station IDUSC00057936
- Location40.49°N 106.82°W
- Elevation6,866 ft (2,093 m)
- Population13,620
- Jan 29° 5°
- Feb 34° 8°
- Mar 45° 18°
- Apr 54° 27°
- May 65° 34°
- Jun 76° 39°
- Jul 83° 46°
- Aug 82° 44°
- Sep 74° 36°
- Oct 59° 26°
- Nov 43° 16°
- Dec 30° 6°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Steamboat Springs in December?
The normal high is 30°F and the normal low 6°F, for a daily mean of 18.3°F. December is 11.4°F cooler than November and 1.4°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Steamboat Springs and the 6th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 7°F, from 35°F on December 1 to 28°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 15°F and 21°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 46%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 35°F | 10°F | 41% | 22% |
| December 8 | 32°F | 8°F | 43% | 22% |
| December 15 | 30°F | 6°F | 44% | 23% |
| December 22 | 29°F | 5°F | 45% | 23% |
| December 31 | 28°F | 4°F | 46% | 24% |
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 | 35°F | 10°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 2 | 34°F | 10°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 3 | 34°F | 10°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 4 | 34°F | 9°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 5 | 33°F | 9°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 33°F | 9°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 32°F | 8°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 8 | 32°F | 8°F | 43% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 9 | 32°F | 8°F | 43% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 10 | 31°F | 7°F | 43% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 11 | 31°F | 7°F | 43% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 12 | 31°F | 7°F | 44% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 13 | 31°F | 6°F | 44% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 14 | 30°F | 6°F | 44% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 15 | 30°F | 6°F | 44% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 16 | 30°F | 6°F | 44% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 17 | 30°F | 6°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 18 | 29°F | 5°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 19 | 29°F | 5°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 20 | 29°F | 5°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 21 | 29°F | 5°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 22 | 29°F | 5°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 23 | 29°F | 5°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 24 | 29°F | 5°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 25 | 29°F | 4°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 26 | 28°F | 4°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 27 | 28°F | 4°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 28 | 28°F | 4°F | 45% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 29 | 28°F | 4°F | 46% | 23% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 30 | 28°F | 4°F | 46% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 31 | 28°F | 4°F | 46% | 24% | 9 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 30°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 6°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.96 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 35.8 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 9 h 30 min to 9 h 20 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 69%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00057936; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Steamboat Springs in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 44% on average, highest around December 31 (46%). In all, 1.96 in falls on 13 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Steamboat Springs, 31 nights fall to freezing, 19 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 35.8 inches.
Snow falls on 14 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 30 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00057936.
What are the records for December in Steamboat Springs?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 64°F, on December 11, 1939; the coldest is −40°F, on December 23, 1990. The wettest December brought 7.26 in (1951); the snowiest, 92.6 inches (1983).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 18.3°F: 2021 24.6°F (+6.3), 2022 15.3°F (−3.0), 2023 21.2°F (+2.9), 2024 22.6°F (+4.3), 2025 29.9°F (+11.6). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 24.6°F | +6.3°F | 2.15 in |
| 2022 | 15.3°F | −3.0°F | 4.18 in |
| 2023 | 21.2°F | +2.9°F | 2.42 in |
| 2024 | 22.6°F | +4.3°F | 2.14 in |
| 2025 | 29.9°F | +11.6°F | 2.38 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00057936; recent months: ACIS, station USC00057936. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Steamboat Springs compare across Colorado?
Across the 125 places PlainClimate covers in Colorado, December normal highs run from 27°F in Crested Butte to 49°F in Campo; Steamboat Springs's is 30°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Steamboat Springs in November43°F by day, 16°F at night
- Steamboat Springs in January29°F by day, 5°F at night
- Steamboat Springs through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Colorado in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Campo: Colorado's warmest Decembernormal high 49°F