Buffalo weather in December

In December, Buffalo sees average daytime highs of 37°F and overnight lows near 28°F, with 3.1 in of precipitation across 12.8 wet days and about 8.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 40°F in the first days to 34°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Buffalo's 11th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Buffalo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
37°
10th warmest
Overnight low
28°
4th coldest
Precipitation
3.1 in
12.8 wet days
Daylight
8 h 54 min
7:46 AM – 4:37 PM
Cloud cover
80%
11th clearest
Wind
11 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.28 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Buffalo is city and county seat of Erie County, New York, United States.

Density
1,898/km²
people per km²
Founded
1832

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 40°F in the first days to 34°F by the end.

A typical December day in Buffalo reaches about 37°F in the afternoon and slips back to 28°F overnight — a 9°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°F and 48°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 10°F cooler than November and about 6°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14132
24132
34032
44031
54031
63931
73930
83830
93830
103829
113829
123729
133729
143728
153728
163628
173628
183628
193627
203627
213527
223527
233526
243526
253526
263526
273526
283426
293425
303425
313425

How December really feels in Buffalo

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.

Buffalo weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 21°2.912.5109.20.0
Feb32° / 21°2.310.27.910.20.0
Mar40° / 28°2.911.45.611.60.2
Apr51° / 39°3.712.21.913.12.5
May64° / 50°3.412.4014.45.2
Jun73° / 61°3.912.3015.16.5
Jul78° / 66°4.012.6014.86.5
Aug76° / 65°3.411013.86.8
Sep70° / 58°3.410.4012.36.5
Oct58° / 47°3.712.60.110.84.0
Nov46° / 37°3.111.83.19.51.3
Dec37° / 28°3.112.87.48.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 85%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11981
21981
31783
41882
51981
61882
71882
81882
91882
101783
111684
121684
131684
141684
151684
161684
171585
181585
191585
201585
211486
221387
231387
241288
251288
261288
271189
281189
291090
30991
31991

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Buffalo gets around 3.1 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 42% and peaks near 44% on the wettest days, and about 7 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14418
24418
34319
44320
54320
64221
74222
84222
94123
104123
114124
124124
134024
144024
154125
164125
174125
184125
194125
204126
214125
224125
234125
244126
254126
264226
274227
284227
294327
304328
314328

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 11 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 11 mph on the calmest days to 11 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
111light breeze
211light breeze
311light breeze
411light breeze
511light breeze
611light breeze
711light breeze
811light breeze
911light breeze
1011light breeze
1111light breeze
1211light breeze
1311light breeze
1411light breeze
1511light breeze
1611light breeze
1711light breeze
1811light breeze
1911light breeze
2011light breeze
2111light breeze
2211light breeze
2311light breeze
2411light breeze
2511light breeze
2611light breeze
2711light breeze
2811light breeze
2911light breeze
3011light breeze
3111light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:33 AM to 7:52 AM, and sunset from 4:37 PM to 4:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:334:37
29.17:344:37
39.07:354:37
49.07:364:37
59.07:374:37
69.07:384:36
79.07:394:36
88.97:404:36
98.97:414:36
108.97:424:36
118.97:424:36
128.97:434:37
138.97:444:37
148.97:454:37
158.97:454:37
168.97:464:37
178.87:474:38
188.87:474:38
198.87:484:38
208.87:484:39
218.87:494:39
228.87:494:39
238.87:504:40
248.87:504:41
258.87:514:41
268.87:514:42
278.87:514:42
288.97:524:43
298.97:524:44
308.97:524:44
318.97:524:45

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.28 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.28 kWh/m² to a high of 6.33 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.28 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.4Dim
21.4Dim
31.3Dim
41.3Dim
51.3Dim
61.3Dim
71.3Dim
81.3Dim
91.3Dim
101.3Dim
111.3Dim
121.3Dim
131.3Dim
141.3Dim
151.3Dim
161.3Dim
171.3Dim
181.3Dim
191.3Dim
201.3Dim
211.3Dim
221.3Dim
231.3Dim
241.3Dim
251.3Dim
261.3Dim
271.3Dim
281.3Dim
291.3Dim
301.3Dim
311.3Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Buffalo?

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 Buffalo.

What to pack for Buffalo in December

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

In December, Buffalo sees daytime highs around 37°F and nights near 28°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 Buffalo in December

The nearest coast averages about 43°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 12 mi away) is warmest in August at about 74°F and coldest in February near 34°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 4 to Sep 20 — about 2.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan37Bracing
Feb34Bracing
Mar34Bracing
Apr38Bracing
May48Bracing
Jun62Cool
Jul72Refreshing
Aug74Refreshing
Sep69Refreshing
Oct60Cool
Nov50Bracing
Dec43Bracing

UV index in Buffalo 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 Buffalo peaks around June 22 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 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 22UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Buffalo?

Buffalo sits at 42.9°N, 78.9°W, 600 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Fort Erie, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Buffalo

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Buffalo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 164 ft around an average of 597 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 407 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,208 ft.

The land around Buffalo is covered by artificial surfaces (46%) and water (31%) within 2 miles, water (28%), artificial surfaces (27%) and trees (26%) within 10 miles, and trees (39%) and water (31%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
164 ft
10 miles
407 ft
50 miles
2,208 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Fort Erie 3.1 mi · West Seneca 5.0 mi · Lackawanna 5.0 mi · Kenmore 5.6 mi · Cheektowaga 6.2 mi · Eggertsville 6.2 mi · Amherst 7.5 mi · Depew 9.3 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 Buffalo (42.8865°, -78.8784°, elevation 600 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).