Salmon Arm weather in December

In December, Salmon Arm sees average daytime highs of 0°C and overnight lows near -4°C, with 70 mm of precipitation across 14.7 wet days and about 7.8 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 1°C in the first days to -1°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 06 min at the start of December to 7 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Salmon Arm's 12th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Salmon Arm's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
-4°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
70 mm
14.7 wet days
Daylight
7 h 48 min
8:00 AM – 3:46 PM
Cloud cover
86%
12th clearest
Wind
3 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
0.79 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Salmon Arm is city in British Columbia, Canada.

Density
125/km²
people per km²
Founded
1905

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 1°C in the first days to -1°C by the end.

A typical December day in Salmon Arm reaches about 0°C in the afternoon and slips back to -4°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -5°C and 4°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 4°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

-15°-10°-5°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12-2
22-2
31-3
41-3
51-3
61-3
71-3
81-3
91-3
101-3
111-3
121-3
131-3
141-3
151-3
161-3
171-3
180-3
190-4
200-4
210-4
220-4
230-4
240-4
250-4
260-4
27-1-5
28-1-5
29-1-5
30-1-5
31-1-5

How December really feels in Salmon Arm

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Salmon Arm weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-1° / -5°6513.913.58.30.0
Feb / -5°4310.38.79.70.0
Mar / -2°5412.67.711.50.6
Apr11° / 4910.12.413.52.7
May17° / 6511.30.415.25.2
Jun20° / 10°6411.2016.25.9
Jul24° / 13°457.9015.87.4
Aug24° / 13°387014.37.5
Sep19° / 10°6310012.46.0
Oct11° / 8313.91.710.42.5
Nov / -0°9016108.70.1
Dec / -4°7014.715.27.80.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 90%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11288
21288
31288
41288
51288
61189
71189
81288
91288
101288
111189
121189
131189
141189
151189
161090
17991
18991
19991
20892
21892
22892
23892
24793
25793
26793
27793
28892
29892
30991
31892

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Salmon Arm gets around 70 mm of rain and snow over 14.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 48% and peaks near 49% on the wettest days, and about 15 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14845
24845
34745
44746
54746
64746
74747
84747
94747
104748
114848
124849
134949
144950
154950
164950
174951
184951
194951
204851
214851
224851
234850
244850
254850
264750
274750
284850
294850
304950
314950

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in December

Winds average 3 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 3 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 06 min at the start of December to 7 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:45 AM to 8:06 AM, and sunset from 3:49 PM to 3:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.17:453:49
28.07:463:48
38.07:473:48
48.07:483:48
58.07:503:47
67.97:513:47
77.97:523:47
87.97:533:46
97.97:543:46
107.87:553:46
117.87:563:46
127.87:573:46
137.87:583:46
147.87:593:46
157.88:003:46
167.88:003:46
177.88:013:46
187.78:023:47
197.78:023:47
207.78:033:47
217.78:033:48
227.78:043:48
237.78:043:49
247.78:053:49
257.78:053:50
267.78:053:50
277.88:063:51
287.88:063:52
297.88:063:53
307.88:063:53
317.88:063:54

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.79 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.79 kWh/m² to a high of 6.7 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 0.79 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.8Dim
20.8Dim
30.8Dim
40.8Dim
50.8Dim
60.8Dim
70.8Dim
80.8Dim
90.8Dim
100.8Dim
110.8Dim
120.8Dim
130.8Dim
140.8Dim
150.8Dim
160.8Dim
170.8Dim
180.8Dim
190.8Dim
200.8Dim
210.8Dim
220.8Dim
230.8Dim
240.8Dim
250.8Dim
260.8Dim
270.8Dim
280.8Dim
290.8Dim
300.8Dim
310.8Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Salmon Arm?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Salmon Arm.

What to pack for Salmon Arm in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Salmon Arm sees daytime highs around 0°C and nights near -4°C. Pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear. About 15 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Salmon Arm in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Salmon Arm peaks around July 17 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 17UV 8Dec 15UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr4Moderate
May6High
Jun6High
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Salmon Arm in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Salmon Arm is worst in August — around 91 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 27.5× the cleanest month (January, 3 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodUnhealthyModerateAug 1188 µg/m³Jan 164 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan3Good
Feb5Good
Mar6Good
Apr7Good
May8Good
Jun9Good
Jul79Unhealthy
Aug91Unhealthy
Sep14Moderate
Oct30Moderate
Nov35Poor
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Salmon Arm?

Salmon Arm sits at 50.7°N, 119.3°W, 427 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is Vernon, 48 km away.

Topography around Salmon Arm

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Salmon Arm.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Salmon Arm has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 645 m around an average of 463 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,398 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,492 m.

The land around Salmon Arm is covered by trees (40%) and grassland (21%) within 3 km, trees (74%) within 16 km, and trees (78%) within 80 km.

3 km
645 m
16 km
1,398 m
80 km
2,492 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Vernon 48 km · Kamloops 74 km · Lake Country 77 km · Brocklehurst 81 km · Rutland 89 km · Kelowna 92 km · West Kelowna 96 km · Okanagan Mission 99 km

Canada travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 83% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$55,698
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 53%none 35%Muslim 5%Hindu 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Salmon Arm (50.6998°, -119.2691°, elevation 427 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).