Portland, Maine weather in December
Temperature, sea 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: July – August
What is the weather like in Portland, Maine in December?
In December, Portland, Maine is cold: daytime highs average 3 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−3 °C). The sea averages 7.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 10 days, totalling 111 mm. Snow falls on about 4 days. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Portland, Maine.
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 18 | 14 | 17 |
| Day | 8° | 3° | 0° |
| Night | 3° | −3° | −7° |
| Sea | 10° | 7° | 6° |
| Sun | 5 h | 4 h | 4 h |
| Rain days | 9 | 10 | 10 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 8 h 58 min07:07 – 16:05
- UV index
- 1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 21 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 58 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 4 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−5America/New_York
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %17 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %54 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in December
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Portland, Maine in December: quick answers
Is Portland, Maine hot in December?
No. In December, Portland, Maine is cold: daytime highs average 3 °C and nights drop to about −3 °C.
Can you swim in Portland, Maine in December?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 7.4 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Portland, Maine in December?
Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 111 mm in total.
Portland, Maine month by month
The whole year in Portland, MaineAll destinations: USAWhere to go in DecemberSea temperature 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