East Setauket weather in December

In December, East Setauket sees average daytime highs of 44°F and overnight lows near 35°F, with 4.8 in of precipitation across 10.6 wet days and about 9.1 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 47°F in the first days to 41°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 18 min at the start of December to 9 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is East Setauket's 9th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see East Setauket's year-round climate.

Daytime high
44°
9th warmest
Overnight low
35°
4th coldest
Precipitation
4.8 in
10.6 wet days
Daylight
9 h 06 min
7:16 AM – 4:21 PM
Cloud cover
60%
9th clearest
Wind
12 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.74 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.7
out of 10

East Setauket is human settlement in Suffolk County, New York, United States of America.

Density
1,080/km²
people per km²

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 47°F in the first days to 41°F by the end.

A typical December day in East Setauket reaches about 44°F in the afternoon and slips back to 35°F overnight — a 8°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 34°F and 54°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 9°F cooler than November and about 6°F warmer than January.

20°30°40°50°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14840
24839
34739
44738
54738
64638
74638
84637
94537
104537
114537
124436
134436
144436
154435
164435
174435
184335
194335
204335
214334
224334
234234
244234
254233
264233
274233
284133
294133
304132
314132

How December really feels in East Setauket

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 29 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
29
wind chill below the day's low

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

East Setauket 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° / 29°3.79.74.29.40.0
Feb38° / 29°3.49.13.810.40.0
Mar44° / 35°4.610.63.311.70.7
Apr53° / 44°3.910.70.413.13.0
May63° / 53°3.510.8014.35.3
Jun72° / 64°3.69.7014.96.7
Jul78° / 70°3.29.2014.66.9
Aug78° / 70°4.09.5013.67.0
Sep72° / 64°3.89.1012.36.9
Oct62° / 54°4.49.40.110.95.5
Nov53° / 44°3.79.10.39.73.0
Dec44° / 35°4.810.62.49.10.7

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24852
34852
44852
54753
64654
74654
84654
94555
104456
114456
124357
134357
144357
154357
164357
174456
184456
194555
204555
214555
224654
234753
244753
254753
264852
274852
284852
294852
304852
314951

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

East Setauket gets around 4.8 in of rain and snow over 10.6 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 34% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 2 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1344
2345
3345
4356
5356
6357
7367
8368
9368
10368
11358
12359
13359
14349
15348
16338
17338
18338
19328
20328
21328
22328
23328
24328
25328
26328
27328
28339
29339
303310
313310

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 (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in December

Winds average 12 mph in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 11 mph on the calmest days to 12 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
812light breeze
912light breeze
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1812light breeze
1912light breeze
2012light breeze
2112light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 18 min at the start of December to 9 h 06 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 7:04 AM to 7:23 AM, and sunset from 4:20 PM to 4:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.37:044:20
29.37:054:20
39.27:064:20
49.27:074:20
59.27:084:20
69.27:094:20
79.27:104:20
89.27:104:20
99.17:114:20
109.17:124:20
119.17:134:20
129.17:144:20
139.17:144:20
149.17:154:20
159.17:164:21
169.17:164:21
179.17:174:21
189.17:184:21
199.17:184:22
209.17:194:22
219.17:194:23
229.17:204:23
239.17:204:24
249.17:214:24
259.17:214:25
269.17:214:25
279.17:224:26
289.17:224:26
299.17:224:27
309.17:234:28
319.17:234:28

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.74 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.74 kWh/m² to a high of 6.34 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.74 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.9Dim
21.9Dim
31.9Dim
41.8Dim
51.8Dim
61.8Dim
71.8Dim
81.8Dim
91.8Dim
101.7Dim
111.7Dim
121.7Dim
131.7Dim
141.7Dim
151.7Dim
161.7Dim
171.7Dim
181.7Dim
191.7Dim
201.7Dim
211.7Dim
221.7Dim
231.7Dim
241.7Dim
251.7Dim
261.8Dim
271.8Dim
281.8Dim
291.8Dim
301.8Dim
311.8Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for East Setauket

In seasonPeak

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

East Setauket 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 East Setauket?

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

0.7
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in East Setauket.

What to pack for East Setauket in December

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

In December, East Setauket sees daytime highs around 44°F and nights near 35°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near East Setauket in December

The nearest coast averages about 46°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 35°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 1 to Sep 30 — about 3 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan39Bracing
Feb35Bracing
Mar37Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May54Bracing
Jun65Cool
Jul72Refreshing
Aug74Refreshing
Sep71Refreshing
Oct64Cool
Nov55Bracing
Dec46Bracing

UV index in East Setauket 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 East Setauket peaks around July 11 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. 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 highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in East Setauket in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in East Setauket is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.7× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1120 µg/m³Nov 188 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr16Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is East Setauket?

East Setauket sits at 40.9°N, 73.1°W, 66 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Setauket-East Setauket, 0.6 mi away.

Topography around East Setauket

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around East Setauket has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 230 ft around an average of 82 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 338 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,457 ft.

The land around East Setauket is covered by trees (68%) within 2 miles, water (50%) and trees (39%) within 10 miles, and water (47%) and trees (41%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
230 ft
10 miles
338 ft
50 miles
1,457 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
December weather nearby: Setauket-East Setauket 0.6 mi · Centereach 5.6 mi · Selden 6.2 mi · Coram 7.5 mi · Lake Ronkonkoma 7.5 mi · Smithtown 7.5 mi · Ronkonkoma 8.7 mi · Farmingville 8.7 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 East Setauket (40.9415°, -73.1059°, elevation 66 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).