Anchorage weather in December

In December, Anchorage sees average daytime highs of 23°F and overnight lows near 16°F, with 2.9 in of precipitation across 12.8 wet days and about 5.2 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 13% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 5 h 42 min at the start of December to 5 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Anchorage's 12th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Anchorage's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
11th warmest
Overnight low
16°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
2.9 in
12.8 wet days
Daylight
5 h 06 min
10:22 AM – 3:29 PM
Cloud cover
77%
12th clearest
Wind
5 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
0.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Anchorage is consolidated city-borough and largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska.

Density
57/km²
people per km²
Founded
1914

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

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°F through the month.

A typical December day in Anchorage reaches about 23°F in the afternoon and slips back to 16°F overnight — a 7°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 9°F and 35°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

10°20°30°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
12518
22418
32418
42417
52417
62417
72417
82417
92417
102417
112417
122417
132317
142317
152316
162316
172316
182316
192316
202316
212316
222316
232216
242216
252215
262215
272215
282215
292215
302215
312115

How December really feels in Anchorage

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 31 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
31
31 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Anchorage weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 14°2.010.410.760.0
Feb26° / 18°1.99.69.48.50.0
Mar32° / 21°1.58.58.511.30.0
Apr42° / 30°1.27.3414.30.5
May51° / 39°1.27.10.6172.7
Jun59° / 49°1.69018.84.5
Jul62° / 54°2.912.5018.14.9
Aug61° / 53°4.214.8015.54.4
Sep54° / 46°4.615.30.412.62.8
Oct41° / 33°3.513.24.19.60.4
Nov29° / 22°2.611.79.36.90.0
Dec23° / 16°2.912.8135.20.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 13% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 76%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12872
22872
32773
42773
52674
62674
72476
82476
92476
102377
112278
122278
132278
142278
152278
162278
172278
182377
192377
202278
212377
222377
232377
242476
252575
262575
272575
282674
292674
302773
312773

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Anchorage gets around 2.9 in of rain and snow over 12.8 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 41% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days, and about 13 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14340
24240
34240
44140
54140
64140
74040
84040
94040
103940
113940
123940
134041
144041
154041
164042
174042
184142
194143
204143
214243
224243
234243
244243
254243
264242
274141
284040
293939
303838
313737

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 5 mph in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 5 h 42 min at the start of December to 5 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 30 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 9:58 AM to 10:27 AM, and sunset from 3:41 PM to 3:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
15.79:583:41
25.710:003:40
35.610:023:38
45.610:043:37
55.510:063:36
65.510:083:35
75.410:103:34
85.410:113:33
95.310:133:32
105.310:153:31
115.210:163:31
125.210:183:30
135.210:193:30
145.210:203:29
155.110:213:29
165.110:223:29
175.110:233:29
185.110:243:29
195.110:253:29
205.110:263:29
215.110:273:30
225.110:273:30
235.110:273:31
245.110:283:31
255.110:283:32
265.110:283:33
275.110:283:34
285.110:283:35
295.110:283:36
305.210:283:37
315.210:273:38

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.16 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.16 kWh/m² to a high of 5.49 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.16 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.2Dim
20.2Dim
30.2Dim
40.2Dim
50.2Dim
60.2Dim
70.2Dim
80.2Dim
90.2Dim
100.2Dim
110.1Dim
120.1Dim
130.1Dim
140.1Dim
150.1Dim
160.1Dim
170.1Dim
180.1Dim
190.1Dim
200.1Dim
210.1Dim
220.1Dim
230.1Dim
240.2Dim
250.2Dim
260.2Dim
270.2Dim
280.2Dim
290.2Dim
300.2Dim
310.2Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Anchorage

In seasonPeak

In December, Anchorage sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Anchorage's rainy season runs July–December, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Anchorage?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Anchorage.

What to pack for Anchorage in December

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

In December, Anchorage sees daytime highs around 23°F and nights near 16°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Anchorage in December

The nearest coast averages about 32°F in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 10 mi away) is warmest in August at about 57°F and coldest in February near 31°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

30°40°50°60°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan31Bracing
Feb31Bracing
Mar31Bracing
Apr32Bracing
May36Bracing
Jun48Bracing
Jul55Bracing
Aug57Bracing
Sep54Bracing
Oct47Bracing
Nov40Bracing
Dec32Bracing

UV index in Anchorage in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 0. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Anchorage peaks around June 23 at about 5 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 4 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJun 23UV 5Dec 19UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar1Low
Apr3Moderate
May4Moderate
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep2Moderate
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Anchorage?

Anchorage sits at 61.2°N, 149.9°W, 102 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Eagle River, 13 mi away.

Dawson CityWhitehorseJuneauTerraceAnadyr

Topography around Anchorage

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Anchorage.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Anchorage has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 194 ft around an average of 56 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,386 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 7,769 ft.

The land around Anchorage is covered by water (39%) and artificial surfaces (32%) within 2 miles, trees (39%) and water (35%) within 10 miles, and trees (42%) and grassland (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
194 ft
10 miles
3,386 ft
50 miles
7,769 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewaterwetlandmoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Eagle River 13 mi · Badger 258 mi · Fairbanks 259 mi · Dawson City 385 mi · Whitehorse 498 mi · Juneau 574 mi · Terrace 903 mi · Anadyr 1,039 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 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 Anchorage (61.2181°, -149.9003°, elevation 102 ft), 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).