December is one of the cooler months of the year in St. John's, with average highs near 2.1°C and lows around -1.4°C (mean 0.4°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 129 mm of rainfall and 86% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in St. John's. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in St. John's was 2010 — when the month averaged 3.5°C — while the coldest was 1989 at -2.5°C. Typical December days reach 2.1°C with nights near -1.4°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
December is a relatively wet time of year in St. John's, averaging 129 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2008 with 217 mm, while the driest was 2023 at 53 mm.
Relative humidity in St. John's during December averages 86%. The most humid December was 2010 at 92%, and the least humid was 1998 at 83%.
December receives about 0.8 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in St. John's. The sunniest Decembers were 2021 and 2024 at 1 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1999, 2008 and 2017, among others at 0.7.
Average wind speed in St. John's during December is 6.2 m/s. The windiest December was 2000 at 7.2 m/s, while the calmest was 2024 at 5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | -0.6°C | -0.1°C | 0.6°C | 0.5°C | 1.6°C | +2.2°C |
| Avg High | 1.3°C | 1.7°C | 2.4°C | 2.1°C | 3.2°C | +1.9°C |
| Avg Low | -2.5°C | -1.9°C | -1.2°C | -1.1°C | 0.0°C | +2.5°C |
| Avg Rain | 110 mm | 137 mm | 163 mm | 123 mm | 101 mm | -8 mm |
December temperatures in St. John's have risen by about 1.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -14°C (1984) to a record high of 11.3°C (2021).
Rainfall in December is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 129 mm, with a wettest year of 217 mm.
A quieter season to visit St. John's
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting St. John's. That said, December — with days averaging 2.1°C and nights around -1.4°C (mean 0.4°C) and higher rainfall (129 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.7°C | 0.7°C | -1.3°C | 7.7°C | -6.9°C | 172 mm | 86% | 6.5 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 3.9°C | 2.2°C | 0.6°C | 9.5°C | -5.3°C | 87 mm | 86% | 5 m/s | 1 |
| 2023 | 2.9°C | 1.4°C | -0.2°C | 7.7°C | -4.0°C | 53 mm | 85% | 5.7 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2022 | 2.8°C | 1.7°C | 0.6°C | 7.2°C | -4.1°C | 100 mm | 89% | 5.9 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2021 | 2.9°C | 1.1°C | -0.6°C | 11.3°C | -5.1°C | 95 mm | 83% | 6.8 m/s | 1 |
| 2020 | 4.1°C | 2.6°C | 1.1°C | 8.6°C | -2.3°C | 101 mm | 89% | 5.5 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2019 | 2.2°C | 0.3°C | -1.6°C | 9.9°C | -5.8°C | 114 mm | 85% | 6.3 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2018 | 0.3°C | -1.0°C | -2.4°C | 4.9°C | -7.5°C | 87 mm | 87% | 6 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2017 | 3.0°C | 1.3°C | -0.4°C | 10.4°C | -4.6°C | 112 mm | 86% | 6.3 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2016 | 1.8°C | -0.4°C | -2.7°C | 9.9°C | -8.4°C | 150 mm | 85% | 7 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2015 | 1.2°C | -0.2°C | -1.7°C | 7.1°C | -8.4°C | 80 mm | 84% | 6.1 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2014 | 3.0°C | 1.3°C | -0.4°C | 8.5°C | -7.3°C | 106 mm | 86% | 5.5 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2013 | 0.4°C | -1.9°C | -4.1°C | 8.4°C | -9.2°C | 149 mm | 85% | 6.4 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2012 | 2.7°C | 1.4°C | 0.1°C | 7.8°C | -3.0°C | 112 mm | 86% | 6.6 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2011 | 2.4°C | 0.8°C | -0.8°C | 9.4°C | -8.3°C | 129 mm | 85% | 5.7 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2010 🔥 | 4.3°C | 3.5°C | 2.7°C | 7.1°C | -3.6°C | 186 mm | 92% | 6.1 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2009 | 1.4°C | 0.2°C | -1.0°C | 6.6°C | -5.0°C | 140 mm | 89% | 6.8 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2008 🌧️ | 4.3°C | 1.5°C | -1.4°C | 11.1°C | -9.2°C | 217 mm | 85% | 6.6 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2007 | 0.4°C | -1.4°C | -3.2°C | 5.4°C | -8.2°C | 144 mm | 84% | 6.6 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2006 | 2.2°C | 0.1°C | -1.9°C | 8.6°C | -7.7°C | 131 mm | 87% | 5.9 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2005 | 3.3°C | 1.9°C | 0.4°C | 7.6°C | -4.9°C | 183 mm | 87% | 5.7 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2004 | 3.2°C | 1.1°C | -0.9°C | 8.2°C | -6.0°C | 162 mm | 86% | 6.6 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2003 | 3.2°C | 1.9°C | 0.6°C | 7.8°C | -3.9°C | 175 mm | 89% | 5.9 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2002 | 1.4°C | -0.3°C | -2.0°C | 7.4°C | -7.6°C | 150 mm | 88% | 6.6 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2001 | 3.1°C | 1.6°C | 0.1°C | 8.3°C | -5.0°C | 164 mm | 89% | 5.5 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2000 | 1.4°C | -0.5°C | -2.4°C | 7.0°C | -7.0°C | 165 mm | 86% | 7.2 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1999 | 2.8°C | 1.2°C | -0.4°C | 6.9°C | -4.8°C | 136 mm | 86% | 6.3 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1998 | 2.2°C | 0.0°C | -2.3°C | 7.9°C | -6.7°C | 131 mm | 83% | 6.9 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1997 | 1.3°C | -0.1°C | -1.5°C | 5.1°C | -6.6°C | 142 mm | 88% | 5.9 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1996 | 2.3°C | 1.0°C | -0.4°C | 8.1°C | -7.2°C | 144 mm | 89% | 5.9 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1995 | 0.4°C | -1.1°C | -2.7°C | 4.8°C | -9.5°C | 164 mm | 88% | 6 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1994 | 0.4°C | -1.0°C | -2.4°C | 3.7°C | -6.6°C | 180 mm | 87% | 5.9 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1993 | 2.6°C | 0.8°C | -0.9°C | 8.7°C | -9.1°C | 112 mm | 87% | 6.3 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1992 | 0.8°C | -0.9°C | -2.6°C | 5.8°C | -9.1°C | 99 mm | 84% | 6.4 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1991 | 1.3°C | -1.2°C | -3.6°C | 6.2°C | -8.4°C | 136 mm | 84% | 6.3 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1990 | 2.9°C | 0.3°C | -2.4°C | 8.3°C | -12.0°C | 127 mm | 86% | 6.4 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1989 ❄️ | -0.6°C | -2.5°C | -4.4°C | 5.2°C | -11.7°C | 91 mm | 86% | 7.1 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1988 | 1.5°C | -0.6°C | -2.7°C | 6.1°C | -9.4°C | 113 mm | 84% | 6.3 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1987 | 1.0°C | -0.4°C | -1.9°C | 7.5°C | -7.8°C | 123 mm | 88% | 6.6 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1986 | 0.5°C | -1.6°C | -3.7°C | 4.7°C | -13.7°C | 80 mm | 85% | 6.2 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1985 | 0.5°C | -1.3°C | -3.1°C | 7.1°C | -6.6°C | 110 mm | 84% | 6.8 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1984 | 1.7°C | -0.4°C | -2.6°C | 9.2°C | -14.0°C | 95 mm | 85% | 6.5 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1983 | 1.9°C | -0.1°C | -2.1°C | 7.3°C | -9.2°C | 104 mm | 83% | 6.8 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 2.1°C | -0.2°C | -2.5°C | 7.4°C | -7.6°C | 170 mm | 86% | 6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 2.9°C | 1.6°C | 0.2°C | 9.1°C | -6.5°C | 102 mm | 88% | 5.4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 2.1°C with lows near -1.4°C (mean 0.4°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 129 mm of rainfall in St. John's, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 217 mm in 2008.
The hottest December reached 11.3°C in 2021. The coldest dipped to -14°C in 1984.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 1.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 1.8°C to 3°C and overnight lows from -2°C to -0.2°C over the same span.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in St. John's and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 2.1°C daytime highs and -1.4°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 4th coolest month in St. John's, averaging 0.4°C.
For December in St. John's, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 2.1°C and lows of -1.4°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 86% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 6.2 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 7.2 m/s (2000).
The wettest December on record was 2008 with 217 mm. On average, December sees 129 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in St. John's behaves each December, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for December specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
