Poughkeepsie weather in December

In December, Poughkeepsie sees average daytime highs of 40°F and overnight lows near 27°F, with 4.0 in of precipitation across 10 wet days and about 9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 44°F in the first days to 38°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 Poughkeepsie's 10th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Poughkeepsie's year-round climate.

Daytime high
40°
10th warmest
Overnight low
27°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
4.0 in
10 wet days
Daylight
9 hours
7:22 AM – 4:22 PM
Cloud cover
64%
10th clearest
Wind
6 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
1.59 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.1
out of 10

Poughkeepsie is city in New York, United States.

Density
2,051/km²
people per km²
Founded
1686

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 44°F in the first days to 38°F by the end.

A typical December day in Poughkeepsie reaches about 40°F in the afternoon and slips back to 27°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°F and 52°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)
14431
24430
34430
44330
54329
64229
74229
84128
94128
104128
114027
124027
134027
144027
153926
163926
173926
183926
193926
203926
213926
223826
233825
243825
253825
263825
273825
283824
293824
303724
313724

How December really feels in Poughkeepsie

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.

Poughkeepsie weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan35° / 21°3.49.35.99.30.0
Feb38° / 22°2.98.24.910.30.0
Mar47° / 29°4.010.44.111.71.4
Apr59° / 40°3.810.8113.14.4
May69° / 50°3.711.6014.36.1
Jun78° / 59°3.811.60156.4
Jul83° / 64°3.510.3014.75.7
Aug81° / 63°3.79.4013.76.4
Sep74° / 55°4.08.6012.37.0
Oct62° / 45°4.390.210.95.4
Nov50° / 35°3.38.71.19.62.3
Dec40° / 27°4.0104.590.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 58%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14258
24258
34258
44258
54258
64159
74159
84159
94159
104159
114060
124060
134060
144060
154060
164159
174159
184159
194159
204258
214258
224357
234258
244258
254357
264357
274357
284357
294456
304456
314357

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Poughkeepsie gets around 4.0 in of rain and snow over 10 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 32% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13210
23311
33312
43412
53413
63514
73514
83515
93516
103516
113516
123516
133416
143416
153316
163315
173215
183115
193114
203014
213014
222914
232913
242913
252913
262914
272914
283014
293015
303116
313116

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 (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in December

Winds average 6 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 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
316calm

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 7:10 AM to 7:28 AM, and sunset from 4:21 PM to 4:29 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.27:104:21
29.27:114:21
39.27:114:21
49.17:124:21
59.17:134:21
69.17:144:21
79.17:154:20
89.17:164:20
99.17:174:20
109.07:184:21
119.07:194:21
129.07:194:21
139.07:204:21
149.07:214:21
159.07:224:21
169.07:224:22
179.07:234:22
189.07:234:22
199.07:244:22
209.07:254:23
219.07:254:23
229.07:264:24
239.07:264:24
249.07:264:25
259.07:274:25
269.07:274:26
279.07:284:27
289.07:284:27
299.07:284:28
309.07:284:29
319.07:284:29

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.59 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.59 kWh/m² to a high of 5.98 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.59 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.7Dim
21.7Dim
31.7Dim
41.6Dim
51.6Dim
61.6Dim
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
291.6Dim
301.6Dim
311.6Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Poughkeepsie

In seasonPeak

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

Poughkeepsie 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 Poughkeepsie?

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

0.1
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Poughkeepsie.

What to pack for Poughkeepsie in December

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

In December, Poughkeepsie sees daytime highs around 40°F and nights near 27°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 Poughkeepsie 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 Poughkeepsie 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 December 23 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 8Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Poughkeepsie?

Poughkeepsie sits at 41.7°N, 73.9°W, 203 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Newburgh, 14 mi away.

Topography around Poughkeepsie

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Poughkeepsie has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 518 ft around an average of 171 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,355 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,370 ft.

The land around Poughkeepsie is covered by trees (54%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 2 miles, trees (80%) within 10 miles, and trees (88%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
518 ft
10 miles
1,355 ft
50 miles
4,370 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Newburgh 14 mi · Kingston 16 mi · Kiryas Joel 28 mi · Peekskill 29 mi · Cortlandt Manor 29 mi · Middletown 31 mi · Danbury 32 mi · Ossining 37 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 Poughkeepsie (41.7004°, -73.921°, elevation 203 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).