Anchorage Weather in December

December is a dark and snowy month for Anchorage, Alaska. Not only are the days short, but the sky is usually cloudy. Plus this month is when the most snow arrives.

This page gives detailed information on typical December temperature, precipitation, snow, sun, humidity, wind and storms for Anchorage. The numbers here are historical averages based on climate data gathered at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, located a few miles from downtown Anchorage.

Temperature

25 °F	December average high	-4 °C
14 °F	December average low	-10 °C

2 days	40 °F max. or more (4 °C)
21 days	20 °F min. or less (-8 °C)

Anchorage averages 24 days in December when the thermometer remains below freezing for the entire day. Temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) are not expected here this month.

Usually every night during December in Anchorage is freezing. The thermometer dips to 0 °F (-18 °C) or below on an average of 5 nights.

Precipitation

1.2 in	total precipitation	29 mm
11 days	of rain or snowfall

Half the time, Anchorage receives 0.6 to 1.5 inches (15 to 39 mm) of precipitation in December. One in four years has drier weather, while another one in four is wetter.

Snow

18.2 in	total snowfall	46 cm
11 days	with new snow

Anchorage usually gets more snow in December than any other month. Even so, December's snowfall varies a lot from year to year in Anchorage. Between 9.2 and 26.3 inches (23 to 67 cm) of fresh snow arrives in half the years. Less new snow lands in one out of four Decembers, while another twenty-five percent are snowier.

Anchorage typically has at least 5 inches (13 cm) of snow on the ground for 23 days this month. The snow normally accumulates to 10 inches (25 cm) or deeper on 13 days.

Sun

27 %	sunshine
6 days	clear skies

December is the cloudiest month at Anchorage. The sun's rays reach the ground during 27 percent of daylight hours on average in December, for a total of 47 hours in the month. Typically on 6 days this month the sky is mainly clear, with at most 30 percent cloud cover.

Sunlight in December at Anchorage averages 5 hours and 37 minutes a day. The shortest days of the year, on December 21st and 22nd, last 5 hours and 27 minutes from sunrise to sunset.

Humidity

77 %	December average humidity

The relative humidity in Anchorage during December remains, on average, steady throughout the day.

Local Time	12 am	3 am	6 am	9 am	12 pm	3 pm	6 pm	9 pm
Humidity %	77	77	78	77	77	77	77	77

Wind

6.3 mph

December wind speed average

10.1 kph

December is the least windy month at Anchorage.

Storms

2 days	snowfall of 3 inches (8 cm) or more
0 days	with thunderstorms in December

About once a decade, Anchorage gets a one-day dump of snow in December that amounts to 10 inches (25 cm) or more.