Elmira weather in December

In December, Elmira sees average daytime highs of 36°F and overnight lows near 24°F, with 3.0 in of precipitation across 9.7 wet days and about 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 11% 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 Elmira's 11th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Elmira's year-round climate.

Daytime high
36°
10th warmest
Overnight low
24°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
3.0 in
9.7 wet days
Daylight
8 h 54 min
7:35 AM – 4:32 PM
Cloud cover
79%
11th clearest
Wind
8 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
1.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Elmira is city in Chemung County, New York, USA.

Density
1,437/km²
people per km²
Founded
1864

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 Elmira reaches about 36°F in the afternoon and slips back to 24°F overnight — a 12°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°F and 49°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)
14128
24028
34028
43927
53927
63926
73826
83826
93725
103725
113725
123724
133624
143624
153624
163624
173623
183523
193523
203523
213523
223523
233523
243522
253522
263522
273422
283422
293422
303422
313421

How December really feels in Elmira

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
11 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Elmira 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
Jan32° / 18°2.69.97.59.30.0
Feb35° / 19°2.38.56.210.30.0
Mar43° / 27°3.4115.511.70.7
Apr56° / 38°3.712.31.813.13.6
May67° / 48°3.513.20.114.45.7
Jun76° / 57°3.711.60156.5
Jul80° / 61°3.311.3014.86.4
Aug78° / 59°3.410.7013.76.6
Sep71° / 52°3.99.6012.36.6
Oct59° / 42°3.610.40.410.84.4
Nov46° / 32°2.99.72.69.61.3
Dec36° / 24°3.09.75.390.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 80%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12179
22179
32179
42179
52179
62179
72080
82080
92080
102080
112080
122080
132080
142080
152080
162080
171981
182080
192080
201981
212080
222080
231981
241981
251981
261981
272080
282080
291882
301882
311882

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Elmira gets around 3.0 in of rain and snow over 9.7 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 32% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13514
23515
33515
43416
53417
63417
73418
83418
93319
103319
113320
123220
133220
143220
153219
163219
173219
183118
193118
203017
213016
222916
232916
242915
252915
262915
272915
283016
293016
303117
313117

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 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
77light breeze
87light breeze
97light breeze
107light breeze
117light breeze
127light breeze
137light breeze
147light breeze
157light 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 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 7:22 AM to 7:41 AM, and sunset from 4:32 PM to 4:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.27:224:32
29.17:234:31
39.17:244:31
49.17:254:31
59.17:264:31
69.17:274:31
79.07:284:31
89.07:294:31
99.07:304:31
109.07:314:31
119.07:314:31
129.07:324:31
139.07:334:31
149.07:344:31
159.07:344:32
168.97:354:32
178.97:364:32
188.97:364:32
198.97:374:33
208.97:374:33
218.97:384:34
228.97:384:34
238.97:394:34
248.97:394:35
258.97:404:36
268.97:404:36
278.97:404:37
288.97:414:37
299.07:414:38
309.07:414:39
319.07:414:39

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.43 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.43 kWh/m² to a high of 5.99 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.43 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.5Dim
21.5Dim
31.5Dim
41.5Dim
51.5Dim
61.5Dim
71.4Dim
81.4Dim
91.4Dim
101.4Dim
111.4Dim
121.4Dim
131.4Dim
141.4Dim
151.4Dim
161.4Dim
171.4Dim
181.4Dim
191.4Dim
201.4Dim
211.4Dim
221.4Dim
231.4Dim
241.4Dim
251.4Dim
261.4Dim
271.4Dim
281.4Dim
291.4Dim
301.5Dim
311.5Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Elmira?

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 Elmira.

What to pack for Elmira in December

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

In December, Elmira sees daytime highs around 36°F and nights near 24°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Elmira 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 Elmira peaks around July 10 at about 9 (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 10UV 9Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Elmira?

Elmira sits at 42.1°N, 76.8°W, 853 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ithaca, 29 mi away.

Topography around Elmira

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Elmira has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 807 ft around an average of 948 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,204 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,228 ft.

The land around Elmira is covered by trees (48%), artificial surfaces (25%) and grassland (21%) within 2 miles, trees (71%) and grassland (21%) within 10 miles, and trees (72%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
807 ft
10 miles
1,204 ft
50 miles
2,228 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Ithaca 29 mi · Vestal 39 mi · Binghamton 45 mi · Cortland 48 mi · Auburn 60 mi · Williamsport 60 mi · Back Mountain 67 mi · Syracuse 74 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 Elmira (42.0898°, -76.8077°, elevation 853 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).