Cortland weather in December

In December, Cortland sees average daytime highs of 35°F and overnight lows near 23°F, with 3.6 in of precipitation across 13 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 38°F in the first days to 32°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 Cortland's 11th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cortland's year-round climate.

Daytime high
35°
10th warmest
Overnight low
23°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
3.6 in
13 wet days
Daylight
8 h 54 min
7:34 AM – 4:27 PM
Cloud cover
80%
11th clearest
Wind
8 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
1.31 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Cortland is city in New York, USA.

Density
1,865/km²
people per km²
Founded
1791

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 38°F in the first days to 32°F by the end.

A typical December day in Cortland reaches about 35°F in the afternoon and slips back to 23°F overnight — a 12°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°F and 48°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 10°F cooler than November and about 5°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13927
23927
33826
43826
53725
63725
73725
83624
93624
103624
113523
123523
133523
143523
153422
163422
173422
183422
193422
203322
213322
223321
233321
243321
253321
263321
273321
283320
293220
303220
313220

How December really feels in Cortland

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
20 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Cortland 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
Jan30° / 16°3.112.612.29.20.0
Feb32° / 17°2.710.99.510.30.0
Mar41° / 25°3.8138.211.60.3
Apr54° / 37°4.213.52.913.13.0
May65° / 47°4.013.90.214.45.4
Jun74° / 56°4.412.8015.16.3
Jul78° / 60°4.213014.86.3
Aug76° / 59°3.912.3013.76.6
Sep69° / 52°4.110.5012.36.3
Oct57° / 41°4.2130.610.83.8
Nov45° / 31°3.512.34.49.60.9
Dec35° / 23°3.613108.90.0

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 8% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 84%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11882
21882
31882
41882
51882
61981
71981
81981
91882
101882
111882
121783
131783
141684
151684
161684
171585
181585
191585
201585
211387
221387
231288
241288
251288
261387
271387
281387
291387
301387
311387

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Cortland gets around 3.6 in of rain and snow over 13 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 46% on the wettest days, and about 10 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14625
24626
34527
44528
54529
64530
74431
84432
94433
104333
114334
124234
134234
144134
154134
164134
174034
184034
194033
204033
214033
224032
234032
244032
254032
264132
274132
284233
294333
304334
314335

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 8 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light 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 7:21 AM to 7:41 AM, and sunset from 4:28 PM to 4:35 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:214:28
29.17:224:27
39.17:234:27
49.07:244:27
59.07:254:27
69.07:264:27
79.07:274:27
89.07:284:27
99.07:294:27
108.97:304:27
118.97:314:27
128.97:314:27
138.97:324:27
148.97:334:27
158.97:344:27
168.97:344:27
178.97:354:28
188.97:364:28
198.97:364:28
208.97:374:29
218.97:374:29
228.97:384:30
238.97:384:30
248.97:394:31
258.97:394:31
268.97:394:32
278.97:404:32
288.97:404:33
298.97:404:34
308.97:404:34
318.97:414:35

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.31 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.31 kWh/m² to a high of 5.98 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.31 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.4Dim
21.4Dim
31.4Dim
41.4Dim
51.4Dim
61.4Dim
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
311.4Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Cortland?

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 Cortland.

What to pack for Cortland in December

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

In December, Cortland sees daytime highs around 35°F and nights near 23°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Cortland in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cortland peaks around July 12 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 12UV 8Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Cortland?

Cortland sits at 42.6°N, 76.2°W, 1,129 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ithaca, 19 mi away.

Topography around Cortland

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Cortland has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 614 ft around an average of 1,220 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,178 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,847 ft.

The land around Cortland is covered by trees (43%) and grassland (28%) within 2 miles, trees (63%) and grassland (20%) within 10 miles, and trees (66%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
614 ft
10 miles
1,178 ft
50 miles
1,847 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Ithaca 19 mi · Auburn 30 mi · Syracuse 31 mi · Vestal 36 mi · Binghamton 37 mi · Cicero 40 mi · Clay 40 mi · Elmira 48 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 Cortland (42.6012°, -76.1805°, elevation 1,129 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. 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).