Sunland Park weather in December

In December, Sunland Park sees average daytime highs of 56°F and overnight lows near 34°F, with 0.7 in of precipitation across 3.6 wet days and about 10 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 59°F in the first days to 55°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 06 min at the start of December to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Sunland Park's 10th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sunland Park's year-round climate.

Daytime high
56°
12th warmest
Overnight low
34°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
0.7 in
3.6 wet days
Daylight
9 h 54 min
7:04 AM – 5:00 PM
Cloud cover
37%
10th clearest
Wind
6 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
3.45 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.8
out of 10

Sunland Park is city in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States.

Density
529/km²
people per km²

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 59°F in the first days to 55°F by the end.

A typical December day in Sunland Park reaches about 56°F in the afternoon and slips back to 34°F overnight — a 22°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 46°F and 66°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 9°F cooler than November and on par with January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16037
25937
35936
45936
55836
65836
75836
85835
95835
105735
115735
125735
135735
145634
155634
165634
175634
185634
195634
205533
215533
225533
235533
245533
255533
265533
275533
285533
295533
305533
315533

How December really feels in Sunland Park

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.

Sunland Park weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 12th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan57° / 34°0.530.510.25.0
Feb63° / 39°0.52.60.110.86.8
Mar71° / 45°0.41.9011.88.3
Apr79° / 52°0.21012.88.6
May87° / 60°0.31.8013.65.9
Jun95° / 69°0.42.20143.2
Jul94° / 72°1.25.7013.93.2
Aug92° / 71°1.05.3013.23.9
Sep87° / 64°1.24.1012.25.8
Oct78° / 53°0.73.50.111.28.2
Nov66° / 42°0.52.30.110.47.5
Dec56° / 34°0.73.60.6104.8

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 29%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27228
37228
47228
57228
67228
77228
87327
97426
107426
117525
127525
137525
147525
157525
167426
177426
187426
197228
207228
217129
227030
236931
246832
256733
266535
276535
286535
296535
306535
316535

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Sunland Park gets around 0.7 in of rain and snow over 3.6 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 11% and peaks near 12% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1112
2111
3111
4111
5121
6111
7111
8111
9111
10111
11111
12111
13111
14111
15111
16111
17111
18112
19122
20122
21122
22123
23123
24123
25123
26123
27123
28124
29124
30123
31113

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, the calmest month.

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 10 h 06 min at the start of December to 9 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 6:54 AM to 7:11 AM, and sunset from 4:58 PM to 5:08 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.16:544:58
210.16:554:58
310.06:554:58
410.06:564:58
510.06:574:58
610.06:584:58
710.06:584:58
810.06:594:59
910.07:004:59
1010.07:014:59
1110.07:014:59
1210.07:024:59
139.97:035:00
149.97:035:00
159.97:045:00
169.97:045:00
179.97:055:01
189.97:065:01
199.97:065:02
209.97:075:02
219.97:075:02
229.97:085:03
239.97:085:03
249.97:095:04
259.97:095:04
269.97:095:05
279.97:105:06
289.97:105:06
299.97:105:07
309.97:115:07
319.97:115:08

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.45 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.45 kWh/m² to a high of 8.26 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.45 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.6Moderate
23.6Moderate
33.5Moderate
43.5Moderate
53.5Moderate
63.5Moderate
73.5Moderate
83.5Moderate
93.5Moderate
103.5Moderate
113.4Moderate
123.4Moderate
133.4Moderate
143.4Moderate
153.4Moderate
163.4Moderate
173.4Moderate
183.4Moderate
193.4Moderate
203.4Moderate
213.4Moderate
223.4Moderate
233.4Moderate
243.4Moderate
253.4Moderate
263.4Moderate
273.5Moderate
283.5Moderate
293.5Moderate
303.5Moderate
313.5Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Sunland Park?

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

4.8
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.1
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Sunland Park for sightseeing.

What to pack for Sunland Park in December

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

In December, Sunland Park sees daytime highs around 56°F and nights near 34°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 4 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Sunland Park in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sunland Park peaks around June 22 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 12Dec 19UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5Moderate
Feb6High
Mar8Very high
Apr11Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep10Very high
Oct7High
Nov5High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Sunland Park 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 Sunland Park is worst in December — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateDec 1716 µg/m³Aug 1211 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May12Moderate
Jun13Moderate
Jul12Good
Aug11Good
Sep13Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec16Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sunland Park?

Sunland Park sits at 31.8°N, 106.6°W, 3,806 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is El Paso, 6.2 mi away.

Topography around Sunland Park

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Sunland Park has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 787 ft around an average of 3,898 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,432 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,125 ft.

The land around Sunland Park is covered by shrubs (38%), artificial surfaces (28%) and bare terrain (28%) within 2 miles, shrubs (42%), bare terrain (27%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 10 miles, and shrubs (43%) and bare terrain (42%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
787 ft
10 miles
3,432 ft
50 miles
5,125 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: El Paso 6.2 mi · Ciudad Juárez 8.7 mi · Socorro 19 mi · Socorro Mission Number 1 Colonia 21 mi · Horizon City 23 mi · Las Cruces 37 mi · Alamogordo 85 mi · Nuevo Casas Grandes 124 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 Sunland Park (31.7965°, -106.58°, elevation 3,806 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).