Nogales weather in December

In December, Nogales sees average daytime highs of 61°F and overnight lows near 37°F, with 1.4 in of precipitation across 4.6 wet days and about 10 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 64°F in the first days to 60°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% 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 Nogales's 9th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nogales's year-round climate.

Daytime high
61°
12th warmest
Overnight low
37°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
1.4 in
4.6 wet days
Daylight
10 hours
7:21 AM – 5:19 PM
Cloud cover
37%
9th clearest
Wind
6 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.52 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Nogales is city in and county seat of Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States, on the Mexican border.

Density
375/km²
people per km²
Founded
1893

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 64°F in the first days to 60°F by the end.

A typical December day in Nogales reaches about 61°F in the afternoon and slips back to 37°F overnight — a 23°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 50°F and 71°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°F cooler than November and on par with January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16440
26440
36439
46339
56339
66339
76239
86238
96238
106238
116238
126138
136138
146137
156037
166037
176037
186037
196037
206037
216037
225936
235936
245936
255936
265936
275936
286036
296037
306037
316037

How December really feels in Nogales

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 12 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
12
wind chill below the day's low

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

Nogales weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 12th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan61° / 37°1.440.410.26.2
Feb63° / 39°1.54.50.510.96.6
Mar69° / 43°0.93.40.311.87.8
Apr76° / 48°0.31.60.212.78.8
May84° / 56°0.21.1013.67.3
Jun92° / 65°0.42.40144.2
Jul90° / 69°3.715.1013.83.6
Aug87° / 67°3.616.4013.14.1
Sep85° / 63°1.97.7012.25.7
Oct79° / 54°0.93011.28.3
Nov69° / 44°0.92.8010.48.0
Dec61° / 37°1.44.60.5106.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 29%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27228
37129
47129
57129
67129
77129
87129
97129
107129
117228
127228
137228
147228
157228
167228
177228
187228
197228
207129
217129
227129
237030
247129
257030
267030
276931
287030
296931
306931
316931

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Nogales gets around 1.4 in of rain and snow over 4.6 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 15% and peaks near 16% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1121
2121
3131
4131
5141
6141
7141
8141
9151
10151
11151
12161
13161
14161
15161
16161
17161
18161
19162
20162
21162
22162
23162
24152
25152
26152
27152
28152
29152
30152
31152

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 6 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
315calm

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 7:10 AM to 7:27 AM, and sunset from 5:17 PM to 5:26 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.17:105:17
210.17:115:17
310.17:125:17
410.17:135:17
510.17:135:17
610.07:145:17
710.07:155:17
810.07:165:17
910.07:165:17
1010.07:175:17
1110.07:185:18
1210.07:185:18
1310.07:195:18
1410.07:205:18
1510.07:205:19
1610.07:215:19
1710.07:215:19
1810.07:225:20
1910.07:225:20
2010.07:235:21
2110.07:235:21
2210.07:245:21
2310.07:245:22
2410.07:255:22
2510.07:255:23
2610.07:265:24
2710.07:265:24
2810.07:265:25
2910.07:275:25
3010.07:275:26
3110.07:275:26

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.52 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.52 kWh/m² to a high of 8.31 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 3.52 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.6Moderate
23.6Moderate
33.6Moderate
43.6Moderate
53.6Moderate
63.5Moderate
73.5Moderate
83.5Moderate
93.5Moderate
103.5Moderate
113.5Moderate
123.5Moderate
133.5Moderate
143.5Moderate
153.5Moderate
163.5Moderate
173.5Moderate
183.5Moderate
193.5Moderate
203.5Moderate
213.5Moderate
223.5Moderate
233.5Moderate
243.5Moderate
253.5Moderate
263.5Moderate
273.5Moderate
283.6Moderate
293.6Moderate
303.6Moderate
313.6Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Nogales?

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

6.0
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.9
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Nogales for sightseeing.

What to pack for Nogales in December

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

In December, Nogales sees daytime highs around 61°F and nights near 37°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 5 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Nogales in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Nogales peaks around June 21 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 21UV 12Dec 19UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar7High
Apr10Very high
May10Very high
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep10Very high
Oct7Very high
Nov5High
Dec4Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Nogales?

Nogales sits at 31.3°N, 110.9°W, 3,832 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Nogales, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Nogales

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Nogales has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 869 ft around an average of 3,980 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,297 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 7,484 ft.

The land around Nogales is covered by shrubs (50%) and artificial surfaces (37%) within 2 miles, shrubs (69%) and grassland (21%) within 10 miles, and shrubs (79%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
869 ft
10 miles
2,297 ft
50 miles
7,484 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrain
December weather nearby: Nogales 2.5 mi · Rio Rico 9.3 mi · Green Valley 35 mi · Sierra Vista 40 mi · Sahuarita 43 mi · Cananea 45 mi · Magdalena de Kino 49 mi · Vail 50 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 Nogales (31.3404°, -110.9343°, elevation 3,832 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).