Watertown weather in December: Watertown, New York: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Watertown in December has a normal high of 36°F and a normal low of 19°F, a daily mean of 27°F, falling from 40°F on the 1st to 32°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 16 days in a normal December, 3.14 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 2°C and low of −7°C, 80 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationWatertown International Airport
- Station IDUSW00094790
- Location43.99°N 76.02°W
- Elevation318 ft (97 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population24,038
- Jan 30° 10°
- Feb 31° 11°
- Mar 40° 21°
- Apr 54° 33°
- May 66° 44°
- Jun 75° 53°
- Jul 79° 59°
- Aug 78° 57°
- Sep 71° 49°
- Oct 58° 39°
- Nov 47° 30°
- Dec 36° 19°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Watertown in December?
The normal high is 36°F and the normal low 19°F, for a daily mean of 27.3°F. December is 10.7°F cooler than November and 7.4°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Watertown and the 5th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 40°F on December 1 to 32°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 22°F and 32°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 54%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 40°F | 24°F | 51% | 28% |
| December 8 | 38°F | 22°F | 52% | 28% |
| December 15 | 36°F | 19°F | 53% | 27% |
| December 22 | 34°F | 17°F | 54% | 27% |
| December 31 | 32°F | 14°F | 54% | 27% |
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 | 40°F | 24°F | 51% | 28% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 40°F | 24°F | 52% | 28% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 40°F | 24°F | 52% | 28% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 39°F | 23°F | 52% | 28% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 39°F | 23°F | 52% | 28% | 9 h |
| December 6 | 39°F | 23°F | 52% | 28% | 9 h |
| December 7 | 38°F | 22°F | 52% | 28% | 9 h |
| December 8 | 38°F | 22°F | 52% | 28% | 9 h |
| December 9 | 37°F | 21°F | 52% | 28% | 9 h |
| December 10 | 37°F | 21°F | 52% | 28% | 9 h |
| December 11 | 37°F | 21°F | 52% | 28% | 9 h |
| December 12 | 36°F | 20°F | 52% | 27% | 9 h |
| December 13 | 36°F | 20°F | 53% | 27% | 9 h |
| December 14 | 36°F | 20°F | 53% | 27% | 9 h |
| December 15 | 36°F | 19°F | 53% | 27% | 9 h |
| December 16 | 35°F | 19°F | 53% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 35°F | 19°F | 53% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 35°F | 18°F | 53% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 34°F | 18°F | 53% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 34°F | 18°F | 53% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 34°F | 17°F | 53% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 34°F | 17°F | 54% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 33°F | 17°F | 54% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 33°F | 16°F | 54% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 33°F | 16°F | 54% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 33°F | 16°F | 54% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 33°F | 15°F | 54% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 32°F | 15°F | 54% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 32°F | 15°F | 54% | 27% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 32°F | 14°F | 54% | 27% | 9 h |
| December 31 | 32°F | 14°F | 54% | 27% | 9 h |
- Normal high
- 36°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 19°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.14 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 160.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 26
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 9 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 47%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094790; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Watertown in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 53% on average, highest around December 31 (54%). In all, 3.14 in falls on 16 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Watertown, 26 nights fall to freezing and 11 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094790.
How humid and windy is Watertown in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 28°F with 69% relative humidity and a dew point of 19°F; at 6 a.m. it is 23°F with 79% humidity. The wind averages 9.3 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 23°F | 17°F | 79% | 8.7 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 24°F | 18°F | 78% | 8.7 mph | – |
| noon | 28°F | 19°F | 69% | 10.3 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 28°F | 19°F | 69% | 10.4 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 26°F | 19°F | 75% | 8.8 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 24°F | 18°F | 77% | 8.9 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094790. 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 Watertown?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1949) is 69°F, on December 4, 2012; the coldest is −37°F, on December 25, 1980. The wettest December brought 6.68 in (1985); the snowiest, 92.9 inches (1985).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 27.3°F: 2021 32.6°F (+5.3), 2022 30.4°F (+3.1), 2023 36.5°F (+9.2), 2024 27.3°F (at normal), 2025 22.0°F (−5.3). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 32.6°F | +5.3°F | 2.08 in |
| 2022 | 30.4°F | +3.1°F | 5.22 in |
| 2023 | 36.5°F | +9.2°F | 4.74 in |
| 2024 | 27.3°F | at normal | 3.64 in |
| 2025 | 22.0°F | −5.3°F | 4.36 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00094790; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094790. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Watertown compare across New York?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in New York, December normal highs run from 29°F in Lake Placid to 47°F in Wantagh; Watertown's is 36°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.