Tucson weather in December: Tucson, Arizona: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Tucson in December has a normal high of 66°F and a normal low of 41°F, a daily mean of 53°F, falling from 69°F on the 1st to 65°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 4 days in a normal December, 0.96 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 19°C and low of 5°C, 24 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationTucson International Airport
- Station IDUSW00023160
- Location32.13°N 110.96°W
- Elevation2,549 ft (777 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population554,013
- Jan 67° 41°
- Feb 69° 43°
- Mar 76° 48°
- Apr 83° 53°
- May 92° 62°
- Jun 101° 71°
- Jul 100° 76°
- Aug 99° 75°
- Sep 95° 70°
- Oct 86° 59°
- Nov 75° 48°
- Dec 66° 41°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Tucson in December?
The normal high is 66°F and the normal low 41°F, for a daily mean of 53.0°F. December is 8.5°F cooler than November and 0.6°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in Tucson and the 4th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 4°F, from 69°F on December 1 to 65°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 2.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 51°F and 55°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 14%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 69°F | 43°F | 11% | 7% |
| December 8 | 66°F | 41°F | 12% | 7% |
| December 15 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% |
| December 22 | 64°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% |
| December 31 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% |
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 | 69°F | 43°F | 11% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 68°F | 43°F | 11% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 68°F | 42°F | 12% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 68°F | 42°F | 12% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 67°F | 42°F | 12% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 67°F | 42°F | 12% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 67°F | 41°F | 12% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 66°F | 41°F | 12% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 66°F | 41°F | 13% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 66°F | 41°F | 13% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 66°F | 41°F | 13% | 8% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 65°F | 41°F | 13% | 8% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 65°F | 40°F | 13% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 14 | 65°F | 40°F | 13% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 15 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 16 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 17 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 18 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 19 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 20 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 21 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 22 | 64°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 23 | 64°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 24 | 64°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 25 | 64°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 26 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 27 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 28 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 29 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 30 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
| December 31 | 65°F | 40°F | 14% | 8% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 66°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 41°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.96 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 40.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 5
- Daylight
- 10 h 10 min to 10 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 11
- Days at 80°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 85%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00023160; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Tucson in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 13% on average, highest around December 22 (14%). In all, 0.96 in falls on 4 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Tucson, 5 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00023160.
How humid and windy is Tucson in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 63°F with 25% relative humidity and a dew point of 27°F; at 6 a.m. it is 42°F with 59% humidity. The wind averages 6.7 mph, most often from the north-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. | 42°F | 29°F | 59% | 6.8 mph | 82% |
| 9 a.m. | 46°F | 29°F | 51% | 7.5 mph | 79% |
| noon | 58°F | 29°F | 32% | 7.3 mph | 77% |
| 3 p.m. | 63°F | 27°F | 25% | 7.8 mph | 78% |
| 6 p.m. | 58°F | 29°F | 33% | 6.1 mph | 79% |
| 9 p.m. | 50°F | 30°F | 46% | 5.2 mph | 80% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00023160. 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 Tucson?
The warmest December temperature on Tucson's official record (since 1894) is 85°F, on December 4, 1895; the coldest is 10°F, on December 14, 1901. The wettest December brought 5.85 in (1914); the snowiest, 6.8 inches (1971).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 53.0°F: 2021 57.2°F (+4.2), 2022 54.0°F (+1.0), 2023 56.7°F (+3.7), 2024 59.4°F (+6.4), 2025 60.1°F (+7.1). 5 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57.2°F | +4.2°F | 1.34 in |
| 2022 | 54.0°F | +1.0°F | 1.27 in |
| 2023 | 56.7°F | +3.7°F | 1.47 in |
| 2024 | 59.4°F | +6.4°F | 0.00 in |
| 2025 | 60.1°F | +7.1°F | 0.45 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record TUSthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00023160. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Tucson compare across Arizona?
Across the 97 places PlainClimate covers in Arizona, December normal highs run from 41°F in Lukachukai to 70°F in Gila Bend; Tucson's is 66°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.