Eagle River weather in December

In December, Eagle River sees average daytime highs of 19°F and overnight lows near 10°F, with 5.5 in of precipitation across 17.1 wet days and about 5.2 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 19°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% 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 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Eagle River's 9th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Eagle River's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
11th warmest
Overnight low
10°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
5.5 in
17.1 wet days
Daylight
5 h 06 min
10:22 AM – 3:26 PM
Cloud cover
75%
9th clearest
Wind
3 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
0.19 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Eagle River is community in Alaska, USA.

Density
224/km²
people per km²
Founded
1939

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 19°F through the month.

A typical December day in Eagle River reaches about 19°F in the afternoon and slips back to 10°F overnight — a 9°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 3°F and 32°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
12011
22011
32011
42011
52011
62011
72011
82011
92011
102011
112011
122011
132011
142010
151910
161910
171910
181910
191910
201910
211910
221910
231910
241910
25199
26189
27189
28189
29189
30189
31178

How December really feels in Eagle River

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.

Eagle River weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan17° / 4.114.215.260.0
Feb22° / 11°3.913.314.38.40.0
Mar27° / 14°3.212.613.911.30.0
Apr38° / 25°2.71212.314.30.1
May48° / 34°2.512.1917.11.7
Jun57° / 44°3.015.12.118.83.4
Jul60° / 48°4.4180.418.13.8
Aug58° / 46°5.818.50.715.63.3
Sep49° / 38°6.818.37.212.61.6
Oct36° / 26°5.616.514.69.60.0
Nov24° / 14°4.715.115.76.80.0
Dec19° / 10°5.517.118.65.20.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% 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 75%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12872
22773
32773
42773
52773
62773
72674
82575
92476
102476
112476
122476
132476
142476
152476
162476
172476
182377
192377
202476
212476
222476
232476
242575
252575
262674
272674
282872
292773
302872
313070

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Eagle River gets around 5.5 in of rain and snow over 17.1 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 54% and peaks near 56% on the wettest days, and about 19 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
15558
25558
35558
45558
55458
65458
75458
85358
95358
105358
115359
125359
135359
145359
155460
165460
175460
185560
195561
205661
215661
225661
235661
245661
255660
265559
275458
285357
295256
305155
315053

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 mph in December.

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

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
13calm
23calm
33calm
43calm
53calm
63calm
73calm
83calm
93calm
103calm
113calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 5 h 42 min at the start of December to 5 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 36 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 9:58 AM to 10:27 AM, and sunset from 3:39 PM to 3:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
15.79:583:39
25.610:003:37
35.610:023:36
45.510:043:35
55.510:063:33
65.410:083:32
75.410:093:31
85.310:113:30
95.310:133:30
105.210:153:29
115.210:163:28
125.210:173:28
135.110:193:27
145.110:203:27
155.110:213:27
165.110:223:26
175.110:233:26
185.010:243:26
195.010:253:27
205.010:263:27
215.010:263:27
225.010:273:28
235.010:273:28
245.010:283:29
255.010:283:29
265.010:283:30
275.110:283:31
285.110:283:32
295.110:283:33
305.110:283:34
315.110:273:36

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.19 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.19 kWh/m² to a high of 5.66 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 0.19 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
110.2Dim
120.2Dim
130.2Dim
140.2Dim
150.2Dim
160.2Dim
170.2Dim
180.2Dim
190.2Dim
200.2Dim
210.2Dim
220.2Dim
230.2Dim
240.2Dim
250.2Dim
260.2Dim
270.2Dim
280.2Dim
290.2Dim
300.2Dim
310.2Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Eagle River?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Eagle River.

What to pack for Eagle River in December

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

In December, Eagle River sees daytime highs around 19°F and nights near 10°F. Pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear. About 17 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Eagle River 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 23 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 Eagle River 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 Eagle River 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 5 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 Eagle River?

Eagle River sits at 61.3°N, 149.6°W, 322 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Anchorage, 13 mi away.

Dawson CityWhitehorseJuneauTerraceAnadyr

Topography around Eagle River

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Eagle River has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,713 ft around an average of 466 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,413 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 9,846 ft.

The land around Eagle River is covered by trees (78%) within 2 miles, trees (42%), grassland (26%) and water (23%) within 10 miles, and trees (36%) and grassland (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
1,713 ft
10 miles
5,413 ft
50 miles
9,846 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewaterwetlandmoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Anchorage 13 mi · Badger 249 mi · Fairbanks 250 mi · Dawson City 372 mi · Whitehorse 487 mi · Juneau 564 mi · Terrace 895 mi · Anadyr 1,045 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 Eagle River (61.3214°, -149.5678°, elevation 322 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).