Palmer weather in December

In December, Palmer sees average daytime highs of 38°F and overnight lows near 26°F, with 4.1 in of precipitation across 10.3 wet days and about 9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 42°F in the first days to 36°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% 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 Palmer's 8th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Palmer's year-round climate.

Daytime high
38°
10th warmest
Overnight low
26°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
4.1 in
10.3 wet days
Daylight
8 h 54 min
7:17 AM – 4:14 PM
Cloud cover
62%
8th clearest
Wind
8 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
1.62 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Palmer is census-designated place in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States.

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 42°F in the first days to 36°F by the end.

A typical December day in Palmer reaches about 38°F in the afternoon and slips back to 26°F overnight — a 12°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°F and 51°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)
14330
24230
34230
44129
54129
64028
74028
84028
93927
103927
113927
123826
133826
143826
153826
163825
173725
183725
193725
203724
213724
223724
233724
243624
253624
263623
273623
283623
293623
303522
313522

How December really feels in Palmer

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
3 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Palmer weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan33° / 19°3.39.86.39.30.0
Feb35° / 20°3.08.75.710.30.0
Mar43° / 28°4.010.5511.60.6
Apr55° / 39°3.5111.613.13.3
May65° / 49°3.2110.114.45.6
Jun74° / 59°3.611.10156.5
Jul80° / 65°3.49.9014.86.6
Aug78° / 63°3.49.3013.76.9
Sep71° / 56°3.68.4012.36.9
Oct59° / 45°4.09.70.410.84.7
Nov48° / 35°3.391.49.61.8
Dec38° / 26°4.110.35.290.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24654
34753
44654
54654
64654
74555
84555
94555
104357
114357
124357
134357
144357
154357
164258
174258
184258
194357
204258
214357
224357
234456
244555
254555
264555
274654
284654
294555
304555
314555

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Palmer gets around 4.1 in of rain and snow over 10.3 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 33% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13213
23213
33314
43315
53316
63416
73417
83417
93418
103418
113418
123418
133418
143418
153418
163417
173317
183316
193316
203216
213216
223216
233216
243216
253216
263216
273216
283317
293317
303318
313418

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
17light breeze
27light breeze
37light breeze
47light breeze
57light breeze
67light breeze
77light breeze
87light breeze
97light breeze
107light breeze
117light breeze
127light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light 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 7:05 AM to 7:24 AM, and sunset from 4:14 PM to 4:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.27:054:14
29.17:064:13
39.17:074:13
49.17:084:13
59.17:084:13
69.17:094:13
79.07:104:13
89.07:114:13
99.07:124:13
109.07:134:13
119.07:144:13
129.07:144:13
139.07:154:13
149.07:164:13
158.97:174:13
168.97:174:14
178.97:184:14
188.97:194:14
198.97:194:15
208.97:204:15
218.97:204:15
228.97:214:16
238.97:214:16
248.97:224:17
258.97:224:17
268.97:224:18
278.97:234:19
288.97:234:19
298.97:234:20
309.07:234:21
319.07:244:21

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.62 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.62 kWh/m² to a high of 5.88 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.62 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.7Dim
21.7Dim
31.7Dim
41.7Dim
51.7Dim
61.7Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.6Dim
101.6Dim
111.6Dim
121.6Dim
131.6Dim
141.6Dim
151.6Dim
161.6Dim
171.6Dim
181.6Dim
191.6Dim
201.6Dim
211.6Dim
221.6Dim
231.6Dim
241.6Dim
251.6Dim
261.6Dim
271.6Dim
281.6Dim
291.7Dim
301.7Dim
311.7Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Palmer?

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 Palmer.

What to pack for Palmer in December

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

In December, Palmer sees daytime highs around 38°F and nights near 26°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 Palmer 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 Palmer 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 January 1 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 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Palmer?

Palmer sits at 42.2°N, 72.3°W, 344 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ludlow, 7.5 mi away.

Topography around Palmer

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Palmer has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 719 ft around an average of 538 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,155 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,097 ft.

The land around Palmer is covered by trees (85%) within 2 miles, trees (87%) within 10 miles, and trees (91%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
719 ft
10 miles
1,155 ft
50 miles
3,097 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Ludlow 7.5 mi · East Longmeadow 11 mi · Springfield 14 mi · North Chicopee 14 mi · Chicopee 14 mi · South Hadley 14 mi · Longmeadow 15 mi · Holyoke 15 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 Palmer (42.1584°, -72.3287°, elevation 344 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).