Pittsfield weather in December

In December, Pittsfield sees average daytime highs of 35°F and overnight lows near 21°F, with 4.3 in of precipitation across 11.6 wet days and about 8.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 38°F in the first days to 32°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Pittsfield's 12th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Pittsfield's year-round climate.

Daytime high
35°
10th warmest
Overnight low
21°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
4.3 in
11.6 wet days
Daylight
8 h 54 min
7:22 AM – 4:16 PM
Cloud cover
67%
12th clearest
Wind
8 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
1.56 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Pittsfield is city and county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States.

Density
394/km²
people per km²
Founded
1752

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 38°F in the first days to 32°F by the end.

A typical December day in Pittsfield reaches about 35°F in the afternoon and slips back to 21°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°F and 48°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)
13926
23926
33825
43825
53724
63724
73724
83623
93623
103522
113522
123522
133521
143421
153421
163421
173420
183420
193320
203320
213320
223320
233320
243319
253319
263319
273219
283219
293219
303218
313218

How December really feels in Pittsfield

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
23 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Pittsfield weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 15°3.510.27.99.20.0
Feb32° / 16°3.19.97.910.30.0
Mar40° / 24°4.112.26.811.60.3
Apr54° / 36°4.012.42.413.13.0
May64° / 47°3.912.70.214.45.4
Jun73° / 56°4.012.60156.3
Jul78° / 61°3.811.3014.86.5
Aug77° / 59°3.710.7013.76.8
Sep69° / 52°3.99.5012.36.5
Oct57° / 41°4.610.70.710.84.0
Nov45° / 31°3.610.32.99.61.0
Dec35° / 21°4.311.67.18.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23862
33961
43961
53862
63862
73862
83862
93763
103664
113664
123664
133565
143565
153565
163565
173466
183466
193466
203466
213565
223565
233466
243664
253664
263664
273763
283862
293862
303862
313862

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Pittsfield gets around 4.3 in of rain and snow over 11.6 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 37% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days, and about 7 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13719
23719
33720
43721
53822
63823
73823
83824
93825
103825
113825
123825
133825
143725
153725
163724
173724
183723
193623
203622
213622
223621
233621
243621
253621
263621
273721
283721
293722
303722
313823

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
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 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:09 AM to 7:28 AM, and sunset from 4:16 PM to 4:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:094:16
29.17:104:16
39.17:114:16
49.17:124:16
59.07:134:16
69.07:144:15
79.07:154:15
89.07:164:15
99.07:174:15
109.07:184:15
119.07:184:15
128.97:194:15
138.97:204:16
148.97:214:16
158.97:214:16
168.97:224:16
178.97:234:17
188.97:234:17
198.97:244:17
208.97:244:18
218.97:254:18
228.97:254:18
238.97:264:19
248.97:264:19
258.97:274:20
268.97:274:21
278.97:274:21
288.97:284:22
298.97:284:23
308.97:284:23
318.97:284:24

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.56 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.56 kWh/m² to a high of 5.94 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.56 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.6Dim
21.6Dim
31.6Dim
41.6Dim
51.6Dim
61.6Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.6Dim
101.6Dim
111.6Dim
121.5Dim
131.5Dim
141.5Dim
151.5Dim
161.5Dim
171.5Dim
181.5Dim
191.5Dim
201.5Dim
211.5Dim
221.5Dim
231.6Dim
241.6Dim
251.6Dim
261.6Dim
271.6Dim
281.6Dim
291.6Dim
301.6Dim
311.6Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Pittsfield?

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 Pittsfield.

What to pack for Pittsfield in December

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

In December, Pittsfield sees daytime highs around 35°F and nights near 21°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Pittsfield 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 Pittsfield 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
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Pittsfield?

Pittsfield sits at 42.5°N, 73.2°W, 1,004 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Albany, 30 mi away.

Topography around Pittsfield

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Pittsfield has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 387 ft around an average of 1,050 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,955 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,970 ft.

The land around Pittsfield is covered by trees (64%) within 2 miles, trees (86%) within 10 miles, and trees (87%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
387 ft
10 miles
1,955 ft
50 miles
3,970 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Albany 30 mi · Troy 30 mi · West Albany 32 mi · Northampton 32 mi · Easthampton 32 mi · Cohoes 32 mi · Latham 33 mi · Westfield 34 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 Pittsfield (42.4501°, -73.2454°, elevation 1,004 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).