Albany Weather in December (1981–2025)

📍 42.67°N, 73.79°W •
📊

December at a Glance in Albany

(1981–2025)
Avg High
🔥
1.1°C
Avg Low
❄️
-6.5°C
Avg Temp
🌡️
-2.7°C
Avg Rain
🌧️
92 mm
Avg Humidity
💧
89%
Avg Wind
🌬️
0.3 m/s
Avg Solar
☀️
1.3
kWh/m²/day
vs Annual
📈
-10.6°C
temp difference
❄️Freezing afternoons🥶Freezing mornings☁️Cloudier skies🌧️Wet month🍃Light winds💦Humid air

Albany December Weather Overview

December is one of the cooler months of the year in Albany, with average highs near 1.1°C and lows around -6.5°C (mean -2.7°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 92 mm of rainfall and 89% relative humidity across the period.

Albany December Temperature History (1981–2025)

Range

December is one of the cooler months of the year in Albany. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Albany was 2015 — when the month averaged 3.8°C — while the coldest was 1989 at -10°C. Typical December days reach 1.1°C with nights near -6.5°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.

1981–1985 vs 2021–2025

Avg Temp-3.5°C→-1.8°C+1.7°C
Max Temp0.4°C→2.2°C+1.8°C
Min Temp-7.4°C→-5.7°C+1.7°C

Trend (per decade)

Avg Temp+0.4°C/decade ↗
Max Temp+0.4°C/decade ↗
Min Temp+0.4°C/decade ↗

Distribution of Avg Temp

-10.0°C–-6.5°C1 yr (2%)
-6.5°C–-3.0°C19 yr (42%)
-3.0°C–0.5°C20 yr (44%)
0.5°C–4.0°C5 yr (11%)

Albany December Rainfall History (1981–2025)

Range

December is about average for rainfall in Albany, averaging 92 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2023 with 187 mm, while the driest was 1989 at 33 mm.

Albany December Humidity History (1981–2025)

Range

Relative humidity in Albany during December averages 89%. The most humid December was 1981 at 95%, and the least humid was 1988 at 82%.

Albany December Solar History (1981–2025)

Range

December receives about 1.3 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Albany. The sunniest Decembers were 1989, 2001 and 2011 at 1.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 2007, 2008 and 2014 at 1.1.

Albany December Wind History (1981–2025)

Range

Average wind speed in Albany during December is 0.3 m/s. The windiest Decembers were 2010 and 2025 at 0.4 m/s, while the calmest was 2006 at 0.2 m/s.

What December Feels Like in Albany

🌅
Freezing
Morning
🌞
Freezing
Afternoon
🌆
Freezing
Evening
Rain chanceHigh
Outdoor comfort★☆☆☆☆

How December Ranks in Albany

🥶3rd coolest month of the year
🌵5th driest month of the year
☀️12th sunniest month of the year

Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.

Explore Albany Weather by Month

Albany December Averages by Decade

Metric1980s1990s2000s2010s2020sChange
Avg Temp-4.0°C-2.2°C-3.0°C-2.2°C-1.8°C+2.2°C
Avg High-0.1°C1.6°C0.7°C1.4°C2.2°C+2.3°C
Avg Low-7.9°C-6.1°C-6.7°C-5.8°C-5.7°C+2.2°C
Avg Rain66 mm83 mm105 mm102 mm108 mm+43 mm

Extreme December Records in Albany

🔥Warmest December20.0°C2015
🧊Coldest December-22.6°C1989
🌧️Wettest December187 mm2023
🏜️Driest December33 mm1989
🌬️Windiest December0.4 m/s2010

Key Insights for December

✅

December temperatures in Albany have risen by about 1.7°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.

✅

December has ranged from a record low of -22.6°C (1989) to a record high of 20°C (2015).

✅

Rainfall in December is about average for rainfall, averaging 92 mm, with a wettest year of 187 mm.

Is December a Good Time to Visit Albany?

A quieter season to visit Albany

If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of July and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Albany. That said, December — with days averaging 1.1°C and nights around -6.5°C (mean -2.7°C) and higher rainfall (92 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.

See Albany's complete weather history All 12 months side by side, 1981–2025 records, annual trends and long-term averages in one place. View full history →

Albany Weather in December — In Depth

☀️ December climate overview

December is one of the cooler months of the year in Albany, with average highs near 1.1°C and lows around -6.5°C (mean -2.7°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 92 mm of rainfall and 89% relative humidity across the period.

🌧️ Rain, humidity & wind in December

December averages 92 mm of rainfall in Albany, about average for rainfall compared with the rest of the year. The wettest December on record saw 187 mm (2023), and the driest just 33 mm (1989). Humidity sits around 89% and average wind speed is 0.3 m/s, with solar radiation averaging 1.3 kWh/m²/day.

📈 How December has changed

Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 1.7°C. Daytime highs moved from 0.4°C to 2.2°C and overnight lows from -7.4°C to -5.7°C over the same span.
December Weather in Albany, Year by Year
🔥 warmest❄️ coldest🌧️ wettest
YearAvg HighAvg TempAvg LowHottest DayColdest DayRainfallHumidityWindSolar
2025-0.9°C-5.1°C-9.2°C11.4°C-16.9°C83 mm87%0.4 m/s—
20241.3°C-2.6°C-6.4°C11.3°C-15.6°C101 mm89%0.3 m/s1.4
2023 🌧️4.4°C0.7°C-3.0°C15.4°C-14.0°C187 mm93%0.3 m/s1.2
20222.2°C-2.1°C-6.3°C12.5°C-16.1°C110 mm89%0.3 m/s1.4
20213.8°C0.2°C-3.4°C13.5°C-10.1°C73 mm89%0.3 m/s1.3
20202.1°C-1.8°C-5.7°C14.9°C-18.5°C95 mm88%0.3 m/s1.2
20190.2°C-3.1°C-6.5°C6.7°C-17.6°C136 mm93%0.3 m/s1.3
20181.7°C-2.0°C-5.7°C11.6°C-10.3°C104 mm91%0.3 m/s1.4
2017-1.2°C-4.7°C-8.2°C11.3°C-21.6°C56 mm87%0.3 m/s1.3
20160.9°C-2.8°C-6.5°C8.0°C-18.9°C78 mm86%0.3 m/s1.3
2015 🔥7.8°C3.8°C-0.1°C20.0°C-4.8°C99 mm89%0.3 m/s1.2
20140.6°C-2.8°C-6.2°C8.9°C-16.0°C112 mm93%0.3 m/s1.1
20130.0°C-3.9°C-7.7°C12.1°C-21.0°C86 mm91%0.3 m/s1.2
20122.7°C-0.8°C-4.3°C11.2°C-12.6°C135 mm90%0.3 m/s1.2
20113.4°C-0.7°C-4.9°C13.3°C-11.5°C103 mm91%0.3 m/s1.6
2010-1.6°C-4.9°C-8.2°C13.6°C-12.9°C108 mm89%0.4 m/s1.3
2009-0.4°C-3.9°C-7.4°C15.0°C-16.9°C106 mm89%0.3 m/s1.4
20080.2°C-3.7°C-7.6°C11.2°C-18.2°C167 mm92%0.3 m/s1.1
2007-0.2°C-3.8°C-7.4°C9.5°C-17.3°C126 mm92%0.3 m/s1.1
20064.6°C0.8°C-2.9°C17.9°C-11.8°C63 mm89%0.2 m/s1.4
2005-1.0°C-4.7°C-8.4°C5.8°C-17.9°C83 mm92%0.3 m/s1.4
20040.9°C-3.1°C-7.1°C11.9°C-18.9°C102 mm88%0.3 m/s1.3
20030.7°C-2.9°C-6.5°C9.6°C-16.5°C139 mm91%0.3 m/s1.4
2002-0.6°C-4.1°C-7.5°C7.3°C-15.5°C105 mm91%0.3 m/s1.4
20014.7°C0.7°C-3.4°C17.9°C-9.9°C51 mm84%0.3 m/s1.6
2000-1.5°C-5.4°C-9.3°C14.4°C-14.3°C105 mm84%0.3 m/s1.5
19992.3°C-1.5°C-5.3°C11.4°C-13.6°C42 mm84%0.3 m/s1.3
19985.0°C0.5°C-4.0°C16.7°C-13.3°C34 mm83%0.3 m/s1.4
19971.3°C-2.7°C-6.8°C6.6°C-19.8°C65 mm90%0.3 m/s1.4
19961.8°C-1.2°C-4.2°C11.6°C-18.5°C153 mm94%0.3 m/s1.3
1995-3.1°C-6.5°C-9.9°C4.4°C-15.3°C60 mm93%0.3 m/s1.5
19943.3°C-1.0°C-5.4°C14.5°C-15.6°C88 mm87%0.3 m/s1.3
19930.1°C-3.8°C-7.6°C7.0°C-18.8°C88 mm90%0.3 m/s1.2
19920.6°C-3.1°C-6.8°C7.3°C-15.7°C101 mm90%0.3 m/s1.3
19911.7°C-2.3°C-6.3°C11.3°C-14.8°C75 mm88%0.3 m/s1.5
19903.2°C-0.7°C-4.5°C14.2°C-12.9°C118 mm87%0.3 m/s1.3
1989 ❄️-5.8°C-10.0°C-14.2°C0.5°C-22.6°C33 mm86%0.3 m/s1.6
19880.3°C-3.7°C-7.8°C9.0°C-18.8°C34 mm82%0.3 m/s1.3
19871.4°C-1.9°C-5.3°C7.8°C-17.9°C41 mm90%0.3 m/s1.2
19860.8°C-3.0°C-6.9°C7.0°C-16.6°C92 mm91%0.3 m/s1.3
1985-1.7°C-5.8°C-9.8°C4.4°C-17.6°C49 mm91%0.3 m/s1.3
19843.2°C-0.7°C-4.6°C15.6°C-13.8°C70 mm88%0.3 m/s1.2
1983-1.8°C-5.6°C-9.4°C6.4°C-20.3°C149 mm88%0.3 m/s—
19823.8°C-0.4°C-4.6°C17.0°C-15.5°C42 mm84%0.3 m/s—
1981-1.4°C-4.9°C-8.4°C7.2°C-17.8°C81 mm95%0.3 m/s—

Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.

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Albany December Weather — FAQ

What is the average temperature in Albany in December?▼

The average high in December is around 1.1°C with lows near -6.5°C (mean -2.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.

Does it rain a lot in Albany in December?▼

December averages 92 mm of rainfall in Albany, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 187 mm in 2023.

What was the hottest December on record in Albany?▼

The hottest December reached 20°C in 2015. The coldest dipped to -22.6°C in 1989.

Has December in Albany gotten warmer over time?▼

Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 1.7°C. Daytime highs moved from 0.4°C to 2.2°C and overnight lows from -7.4°C to -5.7°C over the same span.

Is December a good time to visit Albany?▼

December is one of the cooler months of the year in Albany and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 1.1°C daytime highs and -6.5°C at night.

Is December the coldest month in Albany?▼

Not quite — December is the 3rd coolest month in Albany, averaging -2.7°C.

What should I pack for Albany in December?▼

For December in Albany, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 1.1°C and lows of -6.5°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.

Is Albany humid in December?▼

Relative humidity in December averages 89% — quite humid.

How windy is Albany in December?▼

Average wind speed in December is 0.3 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 0.4 m/s (2010).

Which December had the most rainfall in Albany?▼

The wettest December on record was 2023 with 187 mm. On average, December sees 92 mm.

Where does this December weather data come from?▼

All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.

Other New York cities

Explore how the weather in Albany 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.