December is one of the cooler months of the year in Leh, with average highs near -0.8°C and lows around -25.1°C (mean -12.9°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 12 mm of rainfall and 54% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Leh. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Leh was 2016 — when the month averaged -6.7°C — while the coldest was 2019 at -23.3°C. Typical December days reach -0.8°C with nights near -25.1°C. The long-term trend is cooling, about 0.4°C per decade.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | -13.7°C | -11.9°C | -11.8°C | -13.5°C | -14.4°C | -0.7°C |
| Avg High | -1.0°C | -0.8°C | -1.1°C | -0.1°C | -1.2°C | -0.2°C |
| Avg Low | -26.3°C | -23.0°C | -22.5°C | -27.0°C | -27.7°C | -1.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 16 mm | 6 mm | 8 mm | 17 mm | 15 mm | 0 mm |
December temperatures in Leh have risen by about 0.4°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -39.3°C (2019) to a record high of 5.2°C (2011).
Rainfall in December is about average for rainfall, averaging 12 mm, with a wettest year of 50 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0.1°C per decade while lows fell 0.8°C per decade, widening the gap between day and night.
A quieter season to visit Leh
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of July and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Leh. That said, December — with days averaging -0.8°C and nights around -25.1°C (mean -12.9°C) and low rainfall (12 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | High | Low | Avg | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.7°C | -20.3°C | -9.3°C | 2 mm | 52% | 1.8 m/s | — |
| 2024 | -1.2°C | -35.6°C | -18.4°C | 33 mm | 50% | 2.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2023 | -0.4°C | -21.9°C | -11.1°C | 4 mm | 51% | 1.6 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2022 | -2.6°C | -23.1°C | -12.8°C | 8 mm | 59% | 2 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2021 | 0.6°C | -27.2°C | -13.3°C | 20 mm | 62% | 1.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2020 | -5.3°C | -38.2°C | -21.7°C | 25 mm | 83% | 1.9 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2019 ❄️ 🌧️ | -7.3°C | -39.3°C | -23.3°C | 50 mm | 85% | 1.5 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2018 | -6.0°C | -35.8°C | -20.9°C | 14 mm | 75% | 1.5 m/s | 3 |
| 2017 | 2.5°C | -34.3°C | -15.9°C | 30 mm | 69% | 2.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2016 🔥 | 4.5°C | -18.0°C | -6.7°C | 1 mm | 37% | 2.2 m/s | 3 |
| 2015 | 1.5°C | -34.5°C | -16.5°C | 34 mm | 72% | 1.8 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2014 | 0.8°C | -19.5°C | -9.3°C | 0 mm | 44% | 2.1 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2013 | 1.4°C | -22.3°C | -10.5°C | 9 mm | 47% | 2.3 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2012 | -1.2°C | -22.0°C | -11.6°C | 12 mm | 48% | 2.2 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2011 | 5.2°C | -24.1°C | -9.4°C | 8 mm | 48% | 2.3 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2010 | -2.0°C | -20.1°C | -11.0°C | 13 mm | 41% | 1.6 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2009 | -1.3°C | -21.5°C | -11.4°C | 4 mm | 50% | 1.9 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2008 | 1.2°C | -24.2°C | -11.5°C | 14 mm | 62% | 1.8 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2007 | -3.2°C | -22.9°C | -13.1°C | 2 mm | 44% | 2.4 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2006 | -2.9°C | -24.4°C | -13.6°C | 14 mm | 65% | 2 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2005 | -2.3°C | -21.4°C | -11.8°C | 0 mm | 37% | 1.7 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2004 | 0.6°C | -21.7°C | -10.5°C | 12 mm | 43% | 2.2 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2003 | -0.3°C | -26.5°C | -13.4°C | 23 mm | 68% | 1.9 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2002 | -0.7°C | -21.6°C | -11.2°C | 3 mm | 47% | 2.2 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2001 | -1.9°C | -20.1°C | -11.0°C | 5 mm | 50% | 2.1 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2000 | 0.2°C | -21.1°C | -10.5°C | 4 mm | 39% | 2 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1999 | -0.5°C | -18.2°C | -9.4°C | 0 mm | 30% | 1.7 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1998 | 0.3°C | -20.1°C | -9.9°C | 0 mm | 29% | 1.8 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1997 | -4.6°C | -23.8°C | -14.2°C | 6 mm | 56% | 2 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1996 | -1.5°C | -23.4°C | -12.5°C | 3 mm | 42% | 1.9 m/s | 3.2 |
| 1995 | -1.7°C | -24.6°C | -13.2°C | 8 mm | 64% | 2.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1994 | 0.7°C | -34.7°C | -17.0°C | 32 mm | 60% | 2.3 m/s | 3.2 |
| 1993 | 0.9°C | -20.1°C | -9.6°C | 0 mm | 40% | 2.1 m/s | 3.2 |
| 1992 | -0.8°C | -20.9°C | -10.8°C | 1 mm | 56% | 1.9 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1991 | 0.2°C | -24.2°C | -12.0°C | 7 mm | 57% | 2.1 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1990 | -1.5°C | -19.8°C | -10.7°C | 3 mm | 43% | 2.3 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1989 | 0.1°C | -31.3°C | -15.6°C | 24 mm | 59% | 1.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1988 | 2.8°C | -24.0°C | -10.6°C | 13 mm | 52% | 1.9 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1987 | 0.7°C | -19.7°C | -9.5°C | 4 mm | 40% | 2.1 m/s | 3 |
| 1986 | -2.6°C | -37.8°C | -20.2°C | 45 mm | 82% | 1.6 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1985 | 0.6°C | -31.7°C | -15.6°C | 33 mm | 56% | 2 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1984 | -0.5°C | -22.2°C | -11.4°C | 3 mm | 55% | 2.9 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1983 | -2.6°C | -21.4°C | -12.0°C | 1 mm | 45% | 2 m/s | — |
| 1982 | -3.3°C | -23.4°C | -13.3°C | 12 mm | 61% | 2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | -4.1°C | -25.4°C | -14.8°C | 7 mm | 60% | 2 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around -0.8°C with lows near -25.1°C (mean -12.9°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 12 mm of rainfall in Leh, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 50 mm in 2019.
The hottest December reached 5.2°C in 2011. The coldest dipped to -39.3°C in 2019.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 0.4°C. Daytime highs moved from -2°C to -0.4°C and overnight lows from -24.8°C to -25.6°C over the same span.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Leh and about average for rainfall, so plan for around -0.8°C daytime highs and -25.1°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 3rd coolest month in Leh, averaging -12.9°C.
For December in Leh, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of -0.8°C and lows of -25.1°C.
Relative humidity in December averages 54% — relatively dry.
Average wind speed in December is 2 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 2.9 m/s (1984).
The wettest December on record was 2019 with 50 mm. On average, December sees 12 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 Leh 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.
