Sterling weather in December: Sterling, Virginia: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Sterling in December has a normal high of 47°F and a normal low of 29°F, a daily mean of 38°F, falling from 51°F on the 1st to 43°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 3.30 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 8°C and low of −2°C, 84 mm of precipitation and 7 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationWashington Dulles International Airport
- Station IDUSW00093738
- Location38.94°N 77.46°W
- Elevation290 ft (88 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population (census place)31,251
- Jan 43° 25°
- Feb 46° 27°
- Mar 55° 34°
- Apr 67° 43°
- May 75° 53°
- Jun 83° 62°
- Jul 88° 67°
- Aug 86° 65°
- Sep 79° 58°
- Oct 68° 45°
- Nov 57° 36°
- Dec 47° 29°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Sterling in December?
The normal high is 47°F and the normal low 29°F, for a daily mean of 37.7°F. December is 8.3°F cooler than November and 3.8°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Sterling and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 51°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 34°F and 42°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 33%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 51°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% |
| December 8 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 21% |
| December 15 | 47°F | 29°F | 33% | 21% |
| December 22 | 45°F | 28°F | 33% | 20% |
| December 31 | 43°F | 27°F | 33% | 19% |
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 | 51°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 50°F | 32°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 50°F | 31°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 50°F | 31°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 49°F | 31°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 49°F | 31°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 49°F | 31°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 47°F | 30°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 47°F | 29°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 47°F | 29°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 47°F | 29°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 46°F | 29°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 46°F | 29°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 46°F | 29°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 46°F | 28°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 45°F | 28°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 45°F | 28°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 45°F | 28°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 45°F | 28°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 45°F | 28°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 44°F | 27°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 44°F | 27°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 44°F | 27°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 44°F | 27°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 44°F | 27°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 44°F | 27°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 43°F | 27°F | 33% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 47°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 29°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.30 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 2.8 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 22
- Daylight
- 9 h 40 min to 9 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093738; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Sterling in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around December 9 (33%). In all, 3.30 in falls on 10 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Sterling, 22 nights fall to freezing, 2 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 2.8 inches.
Snow falls on 2 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 2 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093738.
How humid and windy is Sterling in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 43°F with 51% relative humidity and a dew point of 26°F; at 6 a.m. it is 32°F with 75% humidity. The wind averages 7.4 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. | 32°F | 25°F | 75% | 5.9 mph | 38% |
| 9 a.m. | 34°F | 25°F | 71% | 7.2 mph | 29% |
| noon | 40°F | 26°F | 56% | 9.9 mph | 26% |
| 3 p.m. | 43°F | 26°F | 51% | 9.8 mph | 29% |
| 6 p.m. | 38°F | 25°F | 60% | 7.2 mph | 36% |
| 9 p.m. | 35°F | 25°F | 67% | 6.6 mph | 44% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093738. 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 Sterling?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1960) is 79°F, on December 6, 1998; the coldest is −4°F, on December 25, 1989. The wettest December brought 6.74 in (1969); the snowiest, 24.2 inches (1966).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 37.7°F: 2021 45.0°F (+7.3), 2022 36.9°F (−0.8), 2023 43.0°F (+5.3), 2024 38.0°F (+0.3), 2025 34.6°F (−3.1). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 45.0°F | +7.3°F | 0.46 in |
| 2022 | 36.9°F | −0.8°F | 4.95 in |
| 2023 | 43.0°F | +5.3°F | 5.75 in |
| 2024 | 38.0°F | +0.3°F | 3.34 in |
| 2025 | 34.6°F | −3.1°F | 1.30 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093738; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093738. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Sterling compare across Virginia?
Across the 81 places PlainClimate covers in Virginia, December normal highs run from 43°F in Hot Springs to 58°F in Chesapeake; Sterling's is 47°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.