Christmas in New York: will it snow?
Few cities do Christmas like New York: the giant tree at Rockefeller Center, the shop windows on Fifth Avenue, ice rinks between the skyscrapers. What most visitors secretly hope for is snow. The climate data shows how realistic that is: in December, fresh snow falls in New York on about 1.9 days. Over a stay of 5 days, that gives a chance of about 27 % to see at least one snowy day.
How likely is the right weather?
The chance of snow per month (0–100): how likely you are to see fresh snow or a white cover during a week's stay. Tap a month to see its numbers.
- hardly any
- possible
- likely
- very likely
- The moment's season
December at a glance
Your odds of snow
27 % chance of at least one day with fresh snow in December
Chance of fresh snow on a given day: 6 %
On average 0.3 of 5 days bring fresh snow.
A guide from long-term averages, not a forecast. Days are counted as independent; weather comes in spells, so the real odds are somewhat lower.
What the weather has to do
Snow in New York needs cold air from Canada to meet moist air from the Atlantic. That happens, but not every December: the average high is about 7 °C and nights drop to around 1 °C, often just too mild for snow to settle in the streets. The city's snow season really starts after New Year: January and February bring more snow days than December.
Christmas, snow or not
The season works without snow, too. The lights come on early, as the sun sets at about 16:30 in December. Go skating in Central Park or at Rockefeller Center, browse the holiday markets at Bryant Park and Union Square, and take the subway out to Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, where whole streets compete with their Christmas lights.
Dress for the wind
Cold in New York is often wind cold: between the high-rises, a breeze off the rivers makes 7 °C feel much colder. Pack a warm coat, a hat and gloves, and plan a few museum breaks – the Met and MoMA are perfect on a grey day.
Where a white Christmas is more likely
The snow chance in December (0–100) in New York and in snowier places within reach.
- 95 / 100
- 92 / 100
- 87 / 100
- 44 / 100
- 23 / 100
Quick answers
How likely is a white Christmas in New York?
Possible, but not the rule. In December, fresh snow (at least 1 cm) falls on about 1.9 days on average. The chance of fresh snow on a given day is about 6 %, over 5 days about 27 %.
How cold is New York at Christmas?
In December, days reach about 7 °C and nights drop to about 1 °C on average. The wind between the skyscrapers often makes it feel colder.
When does it get dark in New York in December?
The sun sets at about 16:30, after only 9 h 18 min of daylight. The Christmas lights are on early.
When is snow most likely in New York?
In January and February: both months bring more days with fresh snow than December.
How the numbers are worked out
All values are long-term averages for 1996–2025: rain days count 1 mm or more of precipitation, snow days 1 cm or more of fresh snow. The snow chance is the one on our destination pages. Clear sky is 100 % minus the mean cloud cover. Sunrise, sunset and darkness are calculated for the 15th of each month. The weather on a given day can be very different; check the forecast before you go.
Climate averages 1996–2025 (sunshine partly WMO station normals 1991–2020), 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
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