WanderWhen

New York City weather in December

December is a challenging month to visit New York City — consider May–June & September–October instead. Expect highs around 7°C, lows near 0°C, and about 10.8 days with rain.

2.4 · Challengingtravel score for December
Avg high
7°C
Avg low
0°C
Rainfall
127 mm
Rain days
10.8
Sunshine
5.6 h/day
Daylight
9.1 h

What to pack for New York City in December

  • a warm coat, hat and gloves
  • a compact umbrella or rain shell — rain is frequent
  • waterproof boots — snow is likely

Humidity averages 74%; max daily wind around 20 km/h. Snow falls on about 2 days.

New York City in December: the details

In December, New York City sees average daytime highs of 7°C (45°F) and overnight lows of 0°C (31°F). Rainfall totals roughly 127 mm across 10.8 rainy days, and the sun shines about 5.6 hours per day with 9.1 hours of daylight mid-month. Relative humidity averages 74%.

These figures are climate normals computed from the ERA5 weather reanalysis (2019–2024) for New York City, United States (40.71, -74.01) — see our methodology. Actual conditions vary year to year.

Where should you go next month?

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