Providence weather in December

In December, Providence sees average daytime highs of 42°F and overnight lows near 29°F, with 4.3 in of precipitation across 10.4 wet days and about 9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 45°F in the first days to 39°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% 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 Providence's 7th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Providence's year-round climate.

Daytime high
42°
10th warmest
Overnight low
29°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
4.3 in
10.4 wet days
Daylight
9 hours
7:13 AM – 4:11 PM
Cloud cover
59%
7th clearest
Wind
8 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
1.66 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.3
out of 10

Providence is capital city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and seat of Providence County.

Density
3,584/km²
people per km²
Founded
1636

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 45°F in the first days to 39°F by the end.

A typical December day in Providence reaches about 42°F in the afternoon and slips back to 29°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°F and 55°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 9°F cooler than November and about 5°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14633
24632
34532
44532
54531
64431
74431
84430
94330
104330
114229
124229
134229
144229
154229
164128
174128
184128
194128
204128
214128
224028
234027
244027
254027
264027
274027
284026
293926
303926
313926

How December really feels in Providence

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.

Providence 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
Jan37° / 23°3.6105.29.30.0
Feb39° / 24°3.18.64.810.30.0
Mar46° / 31°4.410.74.311.71.2
Apr57° / 41°3.810.80.713.13.9
May67° / 50°3.110.8014.35.9
Jun76° / 60°3.510.10156.7
Jul82° / 66°3.210.6014.76.3
Aug80° / 64°3.810.3013.76.5
Sep73° / 57°3.68.3012.37.0
Oct62° / 47°4.19.30.210.95.4
Nov51° / 37°3.58.80.89.62.7
Dec42° / 29°4.310.4490.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 53%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24951
34951
44852
54852
64753
74753
84753
94753
104654
114555
124555
134555
144456
154456
164555
174555
184555
194555
204555
214555
224654
234852
244852
254753
264753
274951
284951
294852
304852
314951

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Providence gets around 4.3 in of rain and snow over 10.4 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 33% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 4 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1319
23210
33211
43211
53312
63313
73313
83313
93414
103414
113414
123414
133414
143414
153413
163313
173313
183312
193312
203312
213312
223312
233312
243312
253312
263312
273313
283413
293413
303414
313415

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 8 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light 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 7:00 AM to 7:19 AM, and sunset from 4:11 PM to 4:19 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.27:004:11
29.27:014:11
39.17:024:11
49.17:034:10
59.17:044:10
69.17:054:10
79.17:064:10
89.17:064:10
99.07:074:10
109.07:084:10
119.07:094:10
129.07:104:10
139.07:104:10
149.07:114:11
159.07:124:11
169.07:134:11
179.07:134:11
189.07:144:12
199.07:144:12
209.07:154:12
219.07:154:13
229.07:164:13
239.07:164:14
249.07:174:14
259.07:174:15
269.07:184:15
279.07:184:16
289.07:184:17
299.07:184:17
309.07:194:18
319.07:194:19

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.66 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.66 kWh/m² to a high of 5.93 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.66 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.8Dim
21.8Dim
31.8Dim
41.7Dim
51.7Dim
61.7Dim
71.7Dim
81.7Dim
91.7Dim
101.7Dim
111.7Dim
121.6Dim
131.6Dim
141.6Dim
151.6Dim
161.6Dim
171.6Dim
181.6Dim
191.6Dim
201.6Dim
211.6Dim
221.6Dim
231.6Dim
241.7Dim
251.7Dim
261.7Dim
271.7Dim
281.7Dim
291.7Dim
301.7Dim
311.7Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Providence

In seasonPeak

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

Providence 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 Providence?

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

0.3
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Providence.

What to pack for Providence in December

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

In December, Providence sees daytime highs around 42°F and nights near 29°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Providence in December

The nearest coast averages about 47°F in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 31 mi away) is warmest in August at about 70°F and coldest in February near 37°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 16 to Sep 8 — about 1.8 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan41Bracing
Feb37Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May53Bracing
Jun61Cool
Jul68Refreshing
Aug70Refreshing
Sep67Cool
Oct62Cool
Nov54Bracing
Dec47Bracing

UV index in Providence 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 Providence peaks around July 10 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 10UV 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Providence 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 Providence is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1516 µg/m³Nov 189 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Providence?

Providence sits at 41.8°N, 71.4°W, 7 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is East Providence, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Providence

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Providence has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 217 ft around an average of 69 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 584 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,585 ft.

The land around Providence is covered by artificial surfaces (67%) within 2 miles, trees (60%) within 10 miles, and trees (64%) and water (27%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
217 ft
10 miles
584 ft
50 miles
1,585 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: East Providence 2.5 mi · North Providence 3.1 mi · Cranston 3.1 mi · Pawtucket 4.3 mi · Central Falls 5.0 mi · Johnston 5.0 mi · Lincoln 6.8 mi · Barrington 8.1 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 Providence (41.824°, -71.4128°, elevation 7 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). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).