Salt Lake City Weather in December

Salt Lake City, Utah has a relatively cloudy and snowy December, while the days now get progressively cooler. Still some December days do warm up to over 50 degrees Fahrenheit (over 10 °C).

This page gives detailed information on the typical December temperature, precipitation, sun, humidity, wind and storms for Salt Lake City. The numbers here are historical averages based on climate data gathered at the Salt Lake City International Airport, located a few miles northwest of the city's center.

Temperature

39 °F	December average high	4 °C
25 °F	December average low	-4 °C

The days at Salt Lake City continue to cool down during December. By the end of the month, the city has arrived at its chilliest days of the year. The 24th to 31st have daily highs averaging 37 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) and lows of 24 °F (-4 °C).

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

Salt Lake City averages 4 days in December when the thermometer reaches into the 50s °F (over 10 °C). Only in rare years does the temperature get above 60 °F (16 °C) during December. Typically on 8 days this month the mercury remains below freezing for the entire day.

Most December nights are below freezing. The thermometer dips to 10 °F (-12 °C) or lower on an average of 2 nights.

Precipitation

1.4 in	total precipitation	36 mm
10 days	of rain or snowfall

Half the time, Salt Lake City receives 0.9 to 1.7 inches (23 to 42 mm) of precipitation in December. One in four years has drier weather, while another one in four is wetter.

Snow

12.1 in	total snowfall	31 cm
7 days	with new snow

December's snowfall varies a lot from year to year in Salt Lake City. Between 6.6 and 17 inches (17 to 43 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.

Salt Lake City typically has at least an inch (2.5 cm) of snow on the ground for 13 days this month. The snow normally accumulates to 5 inches (13 cm) or deeper on 2 days.

Sun

42 %	sunshine
6 days	clear skies

The sun's rays reach the ground in Salt Lake City during 42 percent of daylight hours on average in December, for a total of 121 hours in the month. Typically on 6 days this month the sky is mainly clear, with at most 30 percent cloud cover. December is the cloudiest month for Salt Lake City.

Sunlight in December at Salt Lake City averages 9 hours and 18 minutes a day. The shortest days of the year, from around December 17th to 24th, last 9 hours and 15 minutes from sunrise to sunset.

Humidity

74 %	December average humidity

The relative humidity in Salt Lake City during December usually peaks at 79 percent in the morning then drops to 63 percent in the afternoon.

Local Time	2 am	5 am	8 am	11 am	2 pm	5 pm	8 pm	11 pm
Humidity %	78	79	79	70	63	71	77	78

Wind

7.6 mph

December wind speed average

12.2 kph

December is less windy than most other months in Salt Lake City.

Storms

4 days	snowfall of 1 inch (2.5 cm) or more
0 days	with thunderstorms in December

Although thunderstorms are less common in December than other months, every few years, Salt Lake City does have thunder and lightning this month.