Washington, D.C. 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: April – June, September – October
What is the weather like in Washington, D.C. in December?
In December, Washington, D.C. is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 0 °C. The sea averages 6.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 90 mm. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Washington, D.C..
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 58 | 27 | 25 |
| Day | 14° | 8° | 6° |
| Night | 5° | 0° | −2° |
| Sea | 12° | 7° | 3° |
| Sun | 5 h | 5 h | 5 h |
| Rain days | 7 | 9 | 9 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 9 h 28 min07:19 – 16:47
- UV index
- 2 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 16 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 57 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 1 day1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−5America/New_York
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %4 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %27 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %65 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in December
- Warm jacket
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Washington, D.C. in December: quick answers
Is Washington, D.C. hot in December?
No. In December, Washington, D.C. is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C and nights drop to about 0 °C.
Can you swim in Washington, D.C. in December?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 6.9 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from June to September.
Does it rain much in Washington, D.C. in December?
Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 90 mm.
Washington, D.C. month by month
The whole year in Washington, D.C.All 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