December is one of the cooler months of the year in Fairbanks, with average highs near -15.3°C and lows around -21.4°C (mean -18.3°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 34 mm of rainfall and 95% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Fairbanks. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Fairbanks was 1985 — when the month averaged -11.4°C — while the coldest was 2025 at -28.1°C. Typical December days reach -15.3°C with nights near -21.4°C. The long-term trend is cooling, about 0.2°C per decade.
December is one of the drier months in Fairbanks, averaging 34 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2021 with 121 mm, while the driest was 1995 at 8 mm.
Relative humidity in Fairbanks during December averages 95%. The most humid Decembers were 1987 and 2021 at 97%, and the least humid was 1996 at 92%.
December receives about 0 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Fairbanks. The sunniest Decembers were 2022, 2023 and 2024, among others at 0 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 2022, 2023 and 2024, among others at 0.
Average wind speed in Fairbanks during December is 2.5 m/s. The windiest Decembers were 1982, 2000 and 2024 at 3.1 m/s, while the calmest was 1996 at 1.8 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | -16.5°C | -20.3°C | -17.6°C | -17.9°C | -19.6°C | -3.1°C |
| Avg High | -13.4°C | -17.1°C | -14.6°C | -15.1°C | -16.4°C | -3°C |
| Avg Low | -19.7°C | -23.6°C | -20.6°C | -20.6°C | -22.8°C | -3.1°C |
| Avg Rain | 32 mm | 36 mm | 27 mm | 33 mm | 48 mm | +16 mm |
December temperatures in Fairbanks have fallen by about 3°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -43.8°C (1989) to a record high of 1.8°C (1999).
Rainfall in December is one of the drier months, averaging 34 mm, with a wettest year of 121 mm.
A quieter season to visit Fairbanks
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of July and June tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Fairbanks. That said, December — with days averaging -15.3°C and nights around -21.4°C (mean -18.3°C) and moderate rainfall (34 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 ❄️ | -25.4°C | -28.1°C | -30.9°C | -3.1°C | -38.0°C | 28 mm | 94% | 2 m/s | — |
| 2024 | -11.5°C | -14.5°C | -17.5°C | 0.0°C | -34.1°C | 33 mm | 93% | 3.1 m/s | 0 |
| 2023 | -14.9°C | -18.1°C | -21.4°C | -1.8°C | -28.8°C | 47 mm | 96% | 2 m/s | 0 |
| 2022 | -17.2°C | -20.3°C | -23.3°C | -5.6°C | -38.7°C | 28 mm | 95% | 2.5 m/s | 0 |
| 2021 🌧️ | -15.0°C | -19.3°C | -23.6°C | -0.5°C | -36.6°C | 121 mm | 97% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 2020 | -14.4°C | -17.3°C | -20.2°C | -1.7°C | -35.5°C | 30 mm | 96% | 3 m/s | 0 |
| 2019 | -16.1°C | -18.7°C | -21.3°C | -3.2°C | -36.7°C | 26 mm | 93% | 2.9 m/s | 0 |
| 2018 | -12.3°C | -15.3°C | -18.2°C | -1.3°C | -27.6°C | 38 mm | 96% | 2.2 m/s | 0 |
| 2017 | -8.7°C | -11.5°C | -14.4°C | 0.8°C | -25.4°C | 29 mm | 94% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 2016 | -16.1°C | -18.6°C | -21.1°C | -1.4°C | -30.3°C | 47 mm | 93% | 2.5 m/s | 0 |
| 2015 | -14.8°C | -17.2°C | -19.7°C | 0.9°C | -31.5°C | 19 mm | 94% | 2.7 m/s | 0 |
| 2014 | -10.6°C | -13.3°C | -16.0°C | 0.7°C | -23.4°C | 34 mm | 95% | 2.7 m/s | 0 |
| 2013 | -17.2°C | -19.8°C | -22.4°C | -0.3°C | -36.3°C | 35 mm | 95% | 2.7 m/s | 0 |
| 2012 | -20.3°C | -22.9°C | -25.4°C | -2.6°C | -38.3°C | 21 mm | 94% | 2.6 m/s | 0 |
| 2011 | -11.9°C | -15.2°C | -18.4°C | 1.1°C | -31.7°C | 55 mm | 96% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 2010 | -23.2°C | -26.1°C | -29.0°C | -3.7°C | -35.5°C | 29 mm | 94% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 2009 | -13.9°C | -16.7°C | -19.5°C | -1.7°C | -36.6°C | 24 mm | 95% | 2.5 m/s | 0 |
| 2008 | -18.5°C | -21.4°C | -24.2°C | -10.2°C | -39.9°C | 21 mm | 95% | 2.5 m/s | 0 |
| 2007 | -15.5°C | -18.5°C | -21.5°C | -5.8°C | -37.6°C | 24 mm | 96% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 2006 | -13.2°C | -16.4°C | -19.6°C | -2.2°C | -28.6°C | 30 mm | 96% | 1.9 m/s | 0 |
| 2005 | -10.8°C | -13.5°C | -16.3°C | 1.0°C | -35.7°C | 33 mm | 95% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 2004 | -15.1°C | -18.9°C | -22.7°C | 0.8°C | -41.2°C | 44 mm | 96% | 2.5 m/s | 0 |
| 2003 | -16.8°C | -19.9°C | -23.0°C | -5.6°C | -39.7°C | 26 mm | 96% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 2002 | -12.1°C | -14.2°C | -16.3°C | -0.2°C | -28.1°C | 23 mm | 95% | 1.9 m/s | 0 |
| 2001 | -18.1°C | -21.4°C | -24.7°C | -2.7°C | -35.2°C | 17 mm | 94% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 2000 | -11.9°C | -15.0°C | -18.0°C | -5.1°C | -32.5°C | 23 mm | 94% | 3.1 m/s | 0 |
| 1999 | -19.2°C | -23.2°C | -27.3°C | 1.8°C | -41.1°C | 51 mm | 95% | 2.7 m/s | 0 |
| 1998 | -18.6°C | -21.1°C | -23.6°C | -8.0°C | -38.9°C | 32 mm | 95% | 2.4 m/s | 0 |
| 1997 | -16.0°C | -19.2°C | -22.5°C | -2.2°C | -35.1°C | 31 mm | 96% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 1996 | -18.8°C | -21.3°C | -23.8°C | -9.4°C | -32.8°C | 17 mm | 92% | 1.8 m/s | 0 |
| 1995 | -17.9°C | -20.6°C | -23.3°C | -5.1°C | -41.4°C | 8 mm | 96% | 3 m/s | 0 |
| 1994 | -16.5°C | -19.7°C | -22.9°C | -2.9°C | -38.7°C | 42 mm | 96% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 1993 | -12.4°C | -15.5°C | -18.5°C | -6.4°C | -25.3°C | 32 mm | 96% | 2.8 m/s | 0 |
| 1992 | -18.1°C | -21.4°C | -24.7°C | -1.7°C | -38.0°C | 30 mm | 96% | 2.7 m/s | 0 |
| 1991 | -16.2°C | -19.6°C | -23.1°C | -6.3°C | -38.0°C | 41 mm | 96% | 2.7 m/s | 0 |
| 1990 | -17.5°C | -21.8°C | -26.0°C | -1.8°C | -43.7°C | 78 mm | 97% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 1989 | -12.3°C | -15.8°C | -19.3°C | 0.4°C | -43.8°C | 34 mm | 95% | 2.8 m/s | 0 |
| 1988 | -11.1°C | -14.9°C | -18.6°C | 1.1°C | -32.4°C | 31 mm | 96% | 2.3 m/s | 0 |
| 1987 | -15.0°C | -18.6°C | -22.2°C | -0.5°C | -34.6°C | 27 mm | 97% | 1.9 m/s | 0 |
| 1986 | -10.7°C | -13.8°C | -16.8°C | 1.2°C | -28.6°C | 30 mm | 96% | 2.8 m/s | 0 |
| 1985 🔥 | -8.5°C | -11.4°C | -14.4°C | 1.4°C | -29.5°C | 35 mm | 95% | 2.5 m/s | 0 |
| 1984 | -15.2°C | -19.1°C | -23.1°C | -1.3°C | -38.1°C | 62 mm | 96% | 2.1 m/s | 0 |
| 1983 | -17.0°C | -19.0°C | -20.9°C | -6.4°C | -32.1°C | 14 mm | 94% | 2.4 m/s | — |
| 1982 | -13.8°C | -16.4°C | -19.0°C | 0.7°C | -31.2°C | 29 mm | 95% | 3.1 m/s | — |
| 1981 | -17.0°C | -19.8°C | -22.6°C | -0.1°C | -39.5°C | 22 mm | 96% | 2.1 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around -15.3°C with lows near -21.4°C (mean -18.3°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 34 mm of rainfall in Fairbanks, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 121 mm in 2021.
The hottest December reached 1.8°C in 1999. The coldest dipped to -43.8°C in 1989.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have fallen by about 3°C. Daytime highs moved from -14.3°C to -16.8°C and overnight lows from -20°C to -23.3°C over the same span.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Fairbanks and one of the drier months, so plan for around -15.3°C daytime highs and -21.4°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 2nd coolest month in Fairbanks, averaging -18.3°C.
For December in Fairbanks, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of -15.3°C and lows of -21.4°C.
Relative humidity in December averages 95% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 2.5 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 3.1 m/s (1982).
The wettest December on record was 2021 with 121 mm. On average, December sees 34 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 Fairbanks 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.
