Ottawa weather in December
Temperature, rain and sunshine in December: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in December
Poor
Best time to visit: May – September
What is the weather like in Ottawa in December?
In December, Ottawa is freezing cold: daytime highs average −1 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−8 °C). The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 12 days, totalling 83 mm. Snow falls on about 7 days. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ottawa.
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 15 | 12 | 18 |
| Day | 6° | −1° | −5° |
| Night | −1° | −8° | −14° |
| Sun | 3 h | 3 h | 3 h |
| Rain days | 11 | 12 | 10 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 8 h 45 min07:35 – 16:20
- UV index
- 1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 17 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 77 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 7 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−5America/Toronto
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %41 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in December
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Ottawa in December: quick answers
Is Ottawa hot in December?
No. In December, Ottawa is freezing cold: daytime highs average −1 °C and nights drop to about −8 °C.
Does it rain much in Ottawa in December?
Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 83 mm in total.
Ottawa month by month
The whole year in OttawaAll destinations: CanadaWhere to go in December
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences