Washington weather in December: Washington, District of Columbia: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Washington in December has a normal high of 49°F and a normal low of 35°F, a daily mean of 42°F, falling from 53°F on the 1st to 46°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 3.41 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 9°C and low of 1°C, 87 mm of precipitation and 4 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationWashington Reagan Airport
- Station IDUSW00013743
- Location38.85°N 77.03°W
- Elevation10 ft (3 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population702,250
- Jan 45° 30°
- Feb 48° 32°
- Mar 57° 39°
- Apr 68° 48°
- May 77° 58°
- Jun 85° 68°
- Jul 90° 72°
- Aug 88° 71°
- Sep 81° 64°
- Oct 69° 52°
- Nov 58° 42°
- Dec 49° 35°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Washington in December?
The normal high is 49°F and the normal low 35°F, for a daily mean of 41.7°F. December is 8.2°F cooler than November and 4.2°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Washington and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 7°F, from 53°F on December 1 to 46°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.8°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 38°F and 46°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 32%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 53°F | 38°F | 31% | 19% |
| December 8 | 51°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% |
| December 15 | 49°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% |
| December 22 | 47°F | 33°F | 32% | 20% |
| December 31 | 46°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% |
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 | 53°F | 38°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 53°F | 37°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 52°F | 37°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 52°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 52°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 51°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 51°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 51°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 50°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 50°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 50°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 50°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 49°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 49°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 49°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 49°F | 34°F | 32% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 48°F | 34°F | 32% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 48°F | 34°F | 32% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 48°F | 34°F | 32% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 48°F | 34°F | 32% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 47°F | 34°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 47°F | 33°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 47°F | 33°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 47°F | 33°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 47°F | 33°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 47°F | 33°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 46°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 46°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 46°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 46°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 46°F | 32°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 49°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 35°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.41 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 1.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 13
- 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 USW00013743; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Washington in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 32% on average, highest around December 15 (32%). In all, 3.41 in falls on 10 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Washington, 13 nights fall to freezing, 1 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 1.7 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 1 day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013743.
How humid and windy is Washington in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 44°F with 51% relative humidity and a dew point of 27°F; at 6 a.m. it is 35°F with 70% humidity. The wind averages 8.8 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. | 35°F | 27°F | 70% | 7.9 mph | 38% |
| 9 a.m. | 37°F | 27°F | 67% | 8.6 mph | 24% |
| noon | 42°F | 27°F | 56% | 10.6 mph | 22% |
| 3 p.m. | 44°F | 27°F | 51% | 10.5 mph | 25% |
| 6 p.m. | 41°F | 27°F | 56% | 8.9 mph | 35% |
| 9 p.m. | 39°F | 27°F | 62% | 8.4 mph | 40% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013743. 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 Washington?
The warmest December temperature on Washington's official record (since 1871) is 79°F, on December 7, 1998; the coldest is −13°F, on December 31, 1880. The wettest December brought 7.56 in (1901); the snowiest, 16.6 inches (2009).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 41.7°F: 2021 47.6°F (+5.9), 2022 40.1°F (−1.6), 2023 45.5°F (+3.8), 2024 41.9°F (+0.2), 2025 37.3°F (−4.4). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 47.6°F | +5.9°F | 0.63 in |
| 2022 | 40.1°F | −1.6°F | 3.86 in |
| 2023 | 45.5°F | +3.8°F | 6.43 in |
| 2024 | 41.9°F | +0.2°F | 2.88 in |
| 2025 | 37.3°F | −4.4°F | 1.77 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record DCAthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013743. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Washington compare across District of Columbia?
Across the 1 places PlainClimate covers in District of Columbia, December normal highs run from 49°F in Washington to 49°F in Washington; Washington's is 49°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.