Barnstable weather in December

In December, Barnstable sees average daytime highs of 43°F and overnight lows near 36°F, with 5.1 in of precipitation across 12 wet days and about 9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 46°F in the first days to 41°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 12 min at the start of December to 9 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Barnstable's 12th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Barnstable's year-round climate.

Daytime high
43°
9th warmest
Overnight low
36°
4th coldest
Precipitation
5.1 in
12 wet days
Daylight
9 hours
7:08 AM – 4:07 PM
Cloud cover
65%
12th clearest
Wind
17 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.58 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.6
out of 10

Barnstable is town in Massachusetts, United States.

Density
241/km²
people per km²
Founded
1637

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 46°F in the first days to 41°F by the end.

A typical December day in Barnstable reaches about 43°F in the afternoon and slips back to 36°F overnight — a 7°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 35°F and 52°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 7°F cooler than November and about 5°F warmer than January.

20°30°40°50°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14740
24639
34639
44639
54638
64538
74538
84538
94537
104437
114437
124437
134436
144436
154336
164336
174335
184335
194335
204335
214235
224235
234234
244234
254234
264234
274133
284133
294133
304133
314033

How December really feels in Barnstable

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Barnstable weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 9th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan38° / 30°4.311.24.79.30.0
Feb38° / 30°3.8104.710.30.0
Mar41° / 34°4.811.23.711.70.1
Apr47° / 42°4.311.30.613.11.5
May55° / 50°3.610.3014.33.5
Jun64° / 60°3.28.20155.9
Jul71° / 67°2.57.7014.77.0
Aug71° / 67°3.17.8013.77.1
Sep66° / 62°4.08.3012.36.5
Oct59° / 54°4.810.1010.94.6
Nov51° / 44°4.4100.39.62.4
Dec43° / 36°5.1122.890.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 60%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24456
34456
44357
54258
64258
74060
84060
93961
103961
113763
123763
133763
143763
153763
163763
173763
183763
193763
203961
214060
224060
234159
244258
254258
264357
274357
284357
294258
304258
314258

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Barnstable gets around 5.1 in of rain and snow over 12 wet days in December, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 38% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1364
2365
3375
4376
5386
6386
7387
8397
9398
10398
11399
12409
13409
14409
154010
164010
174010
183910
193910
203910
213910
223810
233810
243811
253711
263711
273711
283711
293711
303611
313612

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 17 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 16 mph on the calmest days to 17 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
116breezy
216breezy
316breezy
416breezy
516breezy
616breezy
716breezy
816breezy
916breezy
1017breezy
1117breezy
1217breezy
1317breezy
1417breezy
1517breezy
1617breezy
1717breezy
1817breezy
1917breezy
2017breezy
2117breezy
2217breezy
2317breezy
2417breezy
2517breezy
2617breezy
2717breezy
2817breezy
2917breezy
3017breezy
3117breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 12 min at the start of December to 9 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:55 AM to 7:14 AM, and sunset from 4:07 PM to 4:15 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.26:554:07
29.26:564:07
39.26:574:06
49.16:584:06
59.16:594:06
69.17:004:06
79.17:014:06
89.17:024:06
99.17:024:06
109.07:034:06
119.07:044:06
129.07:054:06
139.07:064:06
149.07:064:07
159.07:074:07
169.07:084:07
179.07:084:07
189.07:094:08
199.07:104:08
209.07:104:08
219.07:114:09
229.07:114:09
239.07:124:10
249.07:124:10
259.07:124:11
269.07:134:11
279.07:134:12
289.07:134:13
299.07:144:13
309.07:144:14
319.07:144:15

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.58 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.58 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.58 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.7Dim
21.7Dim
31.7Dim
41.7Dim
51.7Dim
61.6Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.6Dim
101.6Dim
111.6Dim
121.6Dim
131.6Dim
141.5Dim
151.5Dim
161.5Dim
171.5Dim
181.5Dim
191.5Dim
201.6Dim
211.6Dim
221.6Dim
231.6Dim
241.6Dim
251.6Dim
261.6Dim
271.6Dim
281.6Dim
291.6Dim
301.6Dim
311.6Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Barnstable

In seasonPeak

None of Barnstable's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Barnstable sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Barnstable?

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

0.6
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Barnstable.

What to pack for Barnstable in December

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

In December, Barnstable sees daytime highs around 43°F and nights near 36°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat, rain gear and a windbreaker. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Barnstable in December

The nearest coast averages about 45°F in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 69°F and coldest in February near 37°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Aug 5 to Aug 23 — about 0.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan40Bracing
Feb37Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May51Bracing
Jun59Cool
Jul67Cool
Aug69Refreshing
Sep66Cool
Oct59Cool
Nov51Bracing
Dec45Bracing

UV index in Barnstable 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 Barnstable peaks around June 21 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 21UV 8Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Barnstable?

Barnstable sits at 41.7°N, 70.3°W, 36 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Yarmouth, 3.7 mi away.

Topography around Barnstable

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Barnstable has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 171 ft around an average of 56 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 315 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 630 ft.

The land around Barnstable is covered by trees (51%) and water (25%) within 2 miles, water (58%) and trees (32%) within 10 miles, and water (74%) and trees (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
171 ft
10 miles
315 ft
50 miles
630 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Yarmouth 3.7 mi · Provincetown 25 mi · Duxbury 30 mi · Fairhaven 32 mi · New Bedford 33 mi · Middleborough 34 mi · Hanover 39 mi · Taunton 43 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 Barnstable (41.7001°, -70.2995°, elevation 36 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).