Pendleton weather in December

In December, Pendleton sees average daytime highs of 41°F and overnight lows near 29°F, with 2.5 in of precipitation across 13 wet days and about 8.6 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 41°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 48 min at the start of December to 8 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Pendleton's 11th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Pendleton's year-round climate.

Daytime high
41°
12th warmest
Overnight low
29°
1st coldest
Precipitation
2.5 in
13 wet days
Daylight
8 h 30 min
7:36 AM – 4:07 PM
Cloud cover
70%
11th clearest
Wind
6 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
1.29 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Pendleton is city in and seat of Umatilla County, Oregon, United States.

Density
620/km²
people per km²
Founded
1851

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 41°F through the month.

A typical December day in Pendleton reaches about 41°F in the afternoon and slips back to 29°F overnight — a 12°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°F and 51°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°F cooler than November and on par with January.

20°30°40°50°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14330
24230
34230
44230
54230
64229
74129
84129
94129
104129
114129
124129
134129
144129
154129
164129
174029
184029
194029
204029
214029
224029
234029
244029
254029
264029
274028
284028
294028
304028
314028

How December really feels in Pendleton

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Pendleton weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan42° / 30°2.312.64.38.90.2
Feb46° / 31°1.810.43.210.11.3
Mar54° / 35°2.110.91.411.63.1
Apr61° / 40°1.69.40.513.35.1
May70° / 47°1.57.3014.76.9
Jun77° / 53°0.94.6015.47.8
Jul87° / 59°0.21.1015.16.1
Aug86° / 58°0.31.4013.96.5
Sep76° / 51°0.52.9012.38.3
Oct63° / 42°1.57.60.210.75.8
Nov49° / 34°2.3122.19.31.9
Dec41° / 29°2.51358.60.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% 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 69%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13367
23367
33367
43268
53268
63268
73070
83070
93070
102971
112971
122971
132971
142971
152971
162971
172971
183070
193070
203070
213070
223169
233169
243169
253268
263268
273268
283268
293169
303169
313169

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Pendleton gets around 2.5 in of rain and snow over 13 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 42% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14214
24214
34214
44214
54214
64215
74315
84315
94315
104315
114315
124315
134315
144316
154316
164316
174316
184217
194217
204217
214117
224117
234117
244017
254017
264017
274017
284017
294017
304017
314017

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
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 48 min at the start of December to 8 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:22 AM to 7:42 AM, and sunset from 4:08 PM to 4:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.87:224:08
28.77:234:07
38.77:244:07
48.77:264:07
58.77:274:06
68.67:284:06
78.67:294:06
88.67:294:06
98.67:304:06
108.67:314:06
118.67:324:06
128.57:334:06
138.57:344:06
148.57:354:06
158.57:354:06
168.57:364:07
178.57:374:07
188.57:374:07
198.57:384:07
208.57:394:08
218.57:394:08
228.57:404:09
238.57:404:09
248.57:404:10
258.57:414:10
268.57:414:11
278.57:414:12
288.57:424:12
298.57:424:13
308.57:424:14
318.57:424:14

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.29 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.29 kWh/m² to a high of 7.84 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.29 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.4Dim
21.4Dim
31.4Dim
41.3Dim
51.3Dim
61.3Dim
71.3Dim
81.3Dim
91.3Dim
101.3Dim
111.3Dim
121.3Dim
131.3Dim
141.3Dim
151.3Dim
161.3Dim
171.3Dim
181.3Dim
191.3Dim
201.3Dim
211.3Dim
221.3Dim
231.3Dim
241.3Dim
251.3Dim
261.3Dim
271.3Dim
281.3Dim
291.3Dim
301.3Dim
311.3Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Pendleton?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Pendleton.

What to pack for Pendleton in December

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

In December, Pendleton sees daytime highs around 41°F and nights near 29°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Pendleton 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 Pendleton peaks around July 15 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 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 15UV 8Dec 14UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug6High
Sep5Moderate
Oct4Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Pendleton 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 Pendleton is worst in August — around 29 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.4× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1827 µg/m³Dec 237 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May9Good
Jun9Good
Jul16Moderate
Aug29Moderate
Sep20Moderate
Oct12Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Pendleton?

Pendleton sits at 45.7°N, 118.8°W, 1,066 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Hermiston, 27 mi away.

Topography around Pendleton

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Pendleton has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 486 ft around an average of 1,250 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,136 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,581 ft.

The land around Pendleton is covered by grassland (41%), cropland (27%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 2 miles, cropland (55%) and grassland (41%) within 10 miles, and grassland (43%), cropland (28%) and trees (27%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
486 ft
10 miles
2,136 ft
50 miles
6,581 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Hermiston 27 mi · Walla Walla 35 mi · Kennewick 41 mi · Pasco 42 mi · Tri-Cities 44 mi · Richland 48 mi · Sunnyside 74 mi · Lewiston 99 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 Pendleton (45.6721°, -118.7886°, elevation 1,066 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. 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).