Austin, TX weather in December
December in Austin: cool, with some rain. Highs 64°F, lows 43°F, about 8 days with rain. It is one of the coolest months in Austin. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 64°F
- Normal low
- 43°F
- Wet days
- 8
- 2.7 in total
- Muggy days
- 1
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 67°F | 62°F |
| Normal low | 46°F | 42°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 24% | 24% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:09 am / 5:30 pm | 7:27 am / 5:40 pm |
| Daylight | 10.3 h | 10.2 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Central Time).
A typical December day
- 6 am45°Fdew point 38°F
- 9 am48°Fdew point 38°F
- Noon56°Fdew point 39°F
- 3 pm59°Fdew point 38°F
- 6 pm54°Fdew point 39°F
- 9 pm49°Fdew point 39°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Robert Gray AAF (56 mi away); average wind 9 mph; clear or few clouds in 47% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 44%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F13 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more1 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow8 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in4 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below3 of 31
Average days per December, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in December
Normal precipitation is 2.7 in; a dry December brings about 0.7 in and a wet one about 4.3 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 2 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more. Snow is very rare.
How December varies from year to year
- Warmest December, 1991-20202012: average high 69°F
- Coolest December2000: average high 54°F
- Wettest December1991: 14.2 in
- Driest December2005: 0.09 in
- Highest reading86°F (December 3, 1995)
- Lowest reading23°F (December 19, 2016)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
December compared with November and January
| November | December | January | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 72°F | 64°F | 63°F |
| Normal low | 51°F | 43°F | 42°F |
| Wet days | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| Daylight | 10.6 h | 10.2 h | 10.4 h |
Highs change by -8°F from November and -1°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Warmer: Corpus Christi, TX172 mi · high 70°F · 7 wet days
- Drier: San Angelo, TX180 mi · high 62°F · 4 wet days
- Cooler: Fort Worth, TX172 mi · high 58°F · 6 wet days
How Austin ranks in December
- Normal high87th warmest of 378 cities; 16th of 38 in Texas
- Wet days126th driest of 378
- Comfortable days45th most of 340
Frost in December
The first fall frost typically comes around Dec 3; in 1 year in 10 it comes before Nov 15. All frost dates for Austin.
Heating and cooling
December has 368 heating degree days and 16 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 8% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Austin in December?
The normal high is 64°F and the normal low is 43°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest December reading was 23°F (most recently on December 19, 2016).
Does it rain a lot in Austin in December?
About 8 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.7 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 1991 (14.2 in); the driest was in 2005 (0.09 in).
Is December a good time to visit Austin?
December ranks 6th of 12 months on our comfort score for Austin (61 out of 100). It has about 13 comfortable days. The best months are February, March and November.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Austin-Camp Mabry (USW00013958), 3.9 mi NNW of the city center, 670 ft (183 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Robert Gray AAF (USW00003902), 56 mi N of the city center, 1,015 ft (528 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Austin-Camp Mabry (722544-13958), 3.9 mi NNW of the city center, 670 ft (183 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.