December is one of the cooler months of the year in Long Island City, with average highs near 6.5°C and lows around 1.6°C (mean 4.1°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 115 mm of rainfall and 81% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Long Island City. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Long Island City was 2015 — when the month averaged 9.7°C — while the coldest was 1989 at -1.9°C. Typical December days reach 6.5°C with nights near 1.6°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
December is a relatively wet time of year in Long Island City, averaging 115 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2018 with 244 mm, while the driest was 1989 at 26 mm.
Relative humidity in Long Island City during December averages 81%. The most humid December was 2015 at 86%, and the least humid was 2001 at 75%.
December receives about 1.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Long Island City. The sunniest December was 2000 at 1.9 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1992 and 1996 at 1.3.
Average wind speed in Long Island City during December is 5.1 m/s. The windiest Decembers were 2003, 2009 and 2010 at 5.9 m/s, while the calmest was 2015 at 4.1 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 3.0°C | 4.3°C | 3.8°C | 4.7°C | 4.7°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg High | 5.5°C | 6.8°C | 6.4°C | 7.0°C | 7.1°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg Low | 0.5°C | 1.8°C | 1.3°C | 2.5°C | 2.2°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg Rain | 84 mm | 102 mm | 111 mm | 148 mm | 136 mm | +52 mm |
December temperatures in Long Island City have risen by about 1.1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -10.9°C (1983) to a record high of 18.6°C (1998).
Rainfall in December is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 115 mm, with a wettest year of 244 mm.
A quieter season to visit Long Island City
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Long Island City. That said, December — with days averaging 6.5°C and nights around 1.6°C (mean 4.1°C) and higher rainfall (115 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 | 4.8°C | 2.1°C | -0.7°C | 12.3°C | -4.7°C | 85 mm | 79% | 5.4 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 6.6°C | 4.2°C | 1.8°C | 14.9°C | -7.0°C | 149 mm | 80% | 4.8 m/s | 1.8 |
| 2023 | 8.7°C | 6.5°C | 4.3°C | 15.4°C | -0.9°C | 228 mm | 85% | 4.2 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2022 | 6.6°C | 4.0°C | 1.5°C | 13.6°C | -9.8°C | 158 mm | 83% | 5.3 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2021 | 9.0°C | 6.7°C | 4.4°C | 14.9°C | -1.3°C | 48 mm | 80% | 4.2 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2020 | 6.9°C | 4.5°C | 2.1°C | 15.1°C | -3.5°C | 146 mm | 83% | 5.3 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2019 | 6.3°C | 4.0°C | 1.7°C | 12.5°C | -6.3°C | 238 mm | 85% | 4.9 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2018 🌧️ | 6.5°C | 4.5°C | 2.5°C | 13.4°C | -1.4°C | 244 mm | 82% | 4.5 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2017 | 5.0°C | 2.7°C | 0.5°C | 14.1°C | -10.7°C | 87 mm | 79% | 4.9 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2016 | 6.4°C | 4.1°C | 1.7°C | 14.7°C | -5.1°C | 107 mm | 79% | 5.2 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2015 🔥 | 11.9°C | 9.7°C | 7.6°C | 17.2°C | 1.8°C | 200 mm | 86% | 4.1 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2014 | 6.9°C | 4.6°C | 2.4°C | 13.2°C | -1.4°C | 149 mm | 84% | 4.8 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2013 | 6.5°C | 4.0°C | 1.4°C | 14.2°C | -4.0°C | 122 mm | 84% | 4.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2012 | 8.5°C | 6.2°C | 3.8°C | 13.8°C | -0.9°C | 154 mm | 84% | 4.9 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2011 | 8.8°C | 6.3°C | 3.8°C | 14.2°C | -2.2°C | 101 mm | 80% | 4.4 m/s | 1.8 |
| 2010 | 3.2°C | 1.2°C | -0.9°C | 15.0°C | -4.4°C | 80 mm | 78% | 5.9 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2009 | 5.6°C | 3.1°C | 0.6°C | 16.3°C | -6.0°C | 186 mm | 81% | 5.9 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2008 | 6.9°C | 3.9°C | 1.0°C | 14.3°C | -8.8°C | 176 mm | 83% | 5.5 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2007 | 5.9°C | 3.6°C | 1.4°C | 12.8°C | -2.5°C | 135 mm | 82% | 4.9 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2006 | 9.2°C | 6.5°C | 3.8°C | 16.9°C | -4.7°C | 52 mm | 81% | 4.9 m/s | 1.8 |
| 2005 | 4.8°C | 2.6°C | 0.3°C | 11.4°C | -6.7°C | 90 mm | 82% | 5 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2004 | 6.7°C | 4.0°C | 1.4°C | 13.7°C | -8.2°C | 74 mm | 82% | 5.3 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2003 | 6.3°C | 3.7°C | 1.1°C | 13.1°C | -3.1°C | 133 mm | 82% | 5.9 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2002 | 5.1°C | 2.8°C | 0.6°C | 12.8°C | -5.2°C | 123 mm | 82% | 5.4 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2001 | 9.7°C | 7.1°C | 4.4°C | 17.9°C | -2.4°C | 57 mm | 75% | 4.7 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2000 | 3.6°C | 1.1°C | -1.4°C | 14.9°C | -6.6°C | 81 mm | 77% | 5.4 m/s | 1.9 |
| 1999 | 7.4°C | 5.0°C | 2.6°C | 13.8°C | -4.1°C | 73 mm | 78% | 5.1 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1998 | 8.3°C | 5.7°C | 3.2°C | 18.6°C | -5.6°C | 31 mm | 76% | 4.4 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1997 | 6.4°C | 3.9°C | 1.5°C | 10.2°C | -5.7°C | 107 mm | 81% | 5 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1996 | 7.3°C | 5.2°C | 3.1°C | 13.0°C | -5.0°C | 189 mm | 86% | 4.9 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1995 | 3.2°C | 0.9°C | -1.5°C | 10.8°C | -6.0°C | 61 mm | 83% | 5.6 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1994 | 7.8°C | 5.1°C | 2.4°C | 13.9°C | -4.1°C | 76 mm | 81% | 4.9 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1993 | 5.7°C | 3.1°C | 0.5°C | 12.8°C | -8.6°C | 108 mm | 81% | 5.2 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1992 | 6.1°C | 3.7°C | 1.2°C | 11.4°C | -5.1°C | 141 mm | 83% | 5.5 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1991 | 7.3°C | 4.5°C | 1.8°C | 14.6°C | -7.0°C | 105 mm | 80% | 5 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1990 | 8.7°C | 5.8°C | 2.8°C | 15.2°C | -2.5°C | 133 mm | 82% | 5.4 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1989 ❄️ | 0.8°C | -1.9°C | -4.5°C | 8.2°C | -10.6°C | 26 mm | 81% | 5.5 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1988 | 5.1°C | 2.5°C | -0.1°C | 12.8°C | -10.1°C | 32 mm | 78% | 5.2 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1987 | 6.5°C | 4.1°C | 1.6°C | 12.0°C | -9.5°C | 64 mm | 80% | 5.2 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1986 | 6.6°C | 4.3°C | 2.0°C | 13.8°C | -3.4°C | 152 mm | 80% | 5.1 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1985 | 4.8°C | 2.2°C | -0.4°C | 12.0°C | -7.3°C | 31 mm | 79% | 5.2 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1984 | 9.0°C | 6.3°C | 3.5°C | 14.9°C | -2.3°C | 79 mm | 82% | 4.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1983 | 4.4°C | 2.0°C | -0.4°C | 13.1°C | -10.9°C | 192 mm | 84% | 5.7 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 8.3°C | 5.8°C | 3.4°C | 17.0°C | -4.8°C | 56 mm | 84% | 4.6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 4.1°C | 1.8°C | -0.5°C | 12.1°C | -6.6°C | 121 mm | 83% | 5.1 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 6.5°C with lows near 1.6°C (mean 4.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 115 mm of rainfall in Long Island City, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 244 mm in 2018.
The hottest December reached 18.6°C in 1998. The coldest dipped to -10.9°C in 1983.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 1.1°C. Daytime highs moved from 6.1°C to 7.1°C and overnight lows from 1.1°C to 2.3°C over the same span.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Long Island City and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 6.5°C daytime highs and 1.6°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 3rd coolest month in Long Island City, averaging 4.1°C.
For December in Long Island City, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 6.5°C and lows of 1.6°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 81% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 5.1 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 5.9 m/s (2003).
The wettest December on record was 2018 with 244 mm. On average, December sees 115 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 Long Island City 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.
