Natchitoches weather in December

In December, Natchitoches sees average daytime highs of 60°F and overnight lows near 42°F, with 4.5 in of precipitation across 9.5 wet days and about 10 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 63°F in the first days to 58°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 06 min at the start of December to 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Natchitoches's 11th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Natchitoches's year-round climate.

Daytime high
60°
11th warmest
Overnight low
42°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
4.5 in
9.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 54 min
7:10 AM – 5:07 PM
Cloud cover
59%
11th clearest
Wind
7 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.9
out of 10

Natchitoches is small city and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States.

Density
269/km²
people per km²
Founded
1714

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 63°F in the first days to 58°F by the end.

A typical December day in Natchitoches reaches about 60°F in the afternoon and slips back to 42°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 47°F and 73°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16344
26344
36343
46243
56243
66243
76243
86142
96142
106142
116142
126042
136042
146042
156042
166041
176041
186041
195941
205941
215941
225941
235941
245941
255841
265841
275840
285840
295840
305840
315840

How December really feels in Natchitoches

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

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Natchitoches 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan58° / 40°4.69.610.24.5
Feb62° / 43°4.29.510.85.4
Mar70° / 50°4.710.211.86.5
Apr77° / 56°5.09.312.87.0
May85° / 65°3.910.513.65.5
Jun90° / 72°4.112.3143.7
Jul93° / 74°3.212.413.93.0
Aug93° / 74°3.310.513.23.0
Sep88° / 68°3.48.412.24.7
Oct79° / 57°3.87.311.27.2
Nov68° / 47°3.78.110.46.7
Dec60° / 42°4.59.5104.9

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
24951
34852
44753
54753
64654
74654
84555
94555
104555
114555
124456
134456
144555
154555
164555
174555
184555
194654
204753
214654
224654
234654
244555
254555
264456
274456
284555
294555
304456
314456

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Natchitoches gets around 4.5 in of rain and snow over 9.5 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 31% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
230
330
430
531
631
731
831
931
1032
1132
1232
1332
1432
1532
1632
1732
1832
1932
2032
2132
2231
2331
2431
2531
2630
2730
2830
2930
3030
3130

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 80% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1751294
2751294
3761194
4761194
5761194
6761194
7771184
8771184
9771184
10781183
11791083
12801073
13801073
14801073
15801073
16811072
17811072
1882972
1982972
2082972
2182972
2282972
2383872
2483872
2583872
2683872
2783872
2882882
2982882
3082882
3182882

Wind in December

Winds average 7 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 06 min at the start of December to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:00 AM to 7:17 AM, and sunset from 5:04 PM to 5:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.17:005:04
210.17:015:04
310.07:015:04
410.07:025:04
510.07:035:04
610.07:045:04
710.07:045:05
810.07:055:05
910.07:065:05
1010.07:075:05
1110.07:075:05
1210.07:085:05
1310.07:095:06
149.97:095:06
159.97:105:06
169.97:105:07
179.97:115:07
189.97:125:07
199.97:125:08
209.97:135:08
219.97:135:09
229.97:145:09
239.97:145:10
249.97:145:10
259.97:155:11
269.97:155:11
279.97:165:12
289.97:165:12
299.97:165:13
309.97:175:13
3110.07:175:14

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.43 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.43 kWh/m² to a high of 6.23 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 2.43 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.6Moderate
22.6Moderate
32.6Moderate
42.6Moderate
52.5Moderate
62.5Moderate
72.5Moderate
82.5Moderate
92.5Moderate
102.5Moderate
112.4Moderate
122.4Moderate
132.4Moderate
142.4Moderate
152.4Moderate
162.4Moderate
172.4Moderate
182.4Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.4Moderate
252.4Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Natchitoches

In seasonPeak

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

Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches?

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

4.9
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
0.5
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Natchitoches for sightseeing.

What to pack for Natchitoches in December

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

In December, Natchitoches sees daytime highs around 60°F and nights near 42°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Natchitoches in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Natchitoches peaks around June 16 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 16UV 10Dec 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar7High
Apr10Very high
May10Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches is worst in July — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (November, 10 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1725 µg/m³Nov 1710 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb12Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug21Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct12Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Natchitoches?

Natchitoches sits at 31.8°N, 93.1°W, 118 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Alexandria, 49 mi away.

Topography around Natchitoches

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Natchitoches has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 144 ft around an average of 125 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 381 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 587 ft.

The land around Natchitoches is covered by trees (39%) and grassland (30%) within 2 miles, trees (56%) and grassland (26%) within 10 miles, and trees (82%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
144 ft
10 miles
381 ft
50 miles
587 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Alexandria 49 mi · Ruston 59 mi · Bossier City 65 mi · Shreveport 66 mi · Monroe 76 mi · Marshall 93 mi · Nacogdoches 93 mi · Natchez 100 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 Natchitoches (31.7607°, -93.0863°, elevation 118 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). 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).