Weather in New York in December 2024
Average weather
Average temperature in New York in December
The expected average maximum temperature in December is +10°C with a maximum of +16°C and a minimum of -3°C.
The average maximum temperature goes down 11% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +9°C to +7°C.
Is New York warm or cold in December?
New York is typically cool in December.
Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +12°C to +7°C. The minimum temperature also goes down from +6°C to +1°C.
Pack a sweater and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.
December is one of the coolest months in New York, here is the comparison with other months:
Water temperature in New York in December
Water in New York in December is Cold. It varies from +5°C to +11°C, with an average of +8°C. Note that the air temperature is lower than the water temperature, averaging around +7°C.
In December, water temperatures are average relative to the rest of the year:
Can you swim in New York in December?
Climate in New York in December
| November | December | January | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +12°C | +7°C | +4°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| -9°C | -17°C | -23°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +26°C | +22°C | +21°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 82 mm | 82 mm | 61 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 4 m/s | 4 m/s | 5 m/s | ||||
| Avg. water temperature | ||||||
| +12°C | +8°C | +5°C | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 64% | 64% | 63% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1018 HPa | 1018 HPa | 1017 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 8 | 7 | 7 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | 10 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | 7 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 0 | 4 | 7 | ||||
December typically has worse weather conditions compared to November. It’s getting colder in December. From +12°C in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +7°C. The rainfall amount in December stays the same as in the previous month with a 82 mm of total precipitation. Humidity levels don’t change as the month goes on, averaging around 64%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during December, staying around 4 m/s. The days becoming less sunny, going from 8 sunny days in November to 7 in December.
January brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind
The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 8 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in New York is gradually increasing during December, going from 4 m/s to 5 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
Snow
Here’s how December is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:
How was the weather last December in New York?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in New York in December has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1996 (+15°C) and the highest in 2016 (+19°C). The driest year was 1982 with only 711 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2023 with 1785 mm.
FAQ
Is December a good time to visit New York?
Can you sunbathe in New York in December?
Can you swim in New York in December?
Is New York rainy in December?
Is it sunny in New York in December?
Other cities in USA
Monthly weather in New York
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in New York, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.