What weather will December bring?

 

A dry winter's day in Washington, D.C.

Meteorological winter officially began on December 1 and continues through the end of February. Average daily temperatures drop throughout December, according to NOAA. DC’s average high/low temperatures range from 53°/38° on December 1 to 44°/30° on December 31. DC’s warmest December temperature on record is 79° (December 7, 1998), while its coldest December temperature is -13° (December 31, 1880). Eight of the last 10 December’s have been warmer than average in Washington, D.C.

The nation’s capital averages 3.41” of December rainfall. Washingtonians can also expect an average of 1.7” of December snowfall (2.8” at Dulles Airport). However, nine of the last 10 Decembers have had below average snowfall. DC’s wettest December (7.56”) occurred in 1901 and driest (0.19”) in 1889. By comparison, the snowiest December occurred in 2009 with 16.6”. That was also the last time the nation’s capital had a white Christmas.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center expects December to be a cooler than average month in the nation’s capital. That makes sense given the below average temperatures to start the month. Computer guidance expects colder than average temperatures to continue in the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) until the middle of the month. That could help make this month DC’s coldest December since 2017. The colder than average temperatures create more favorable conditions for snow to occur.

Today’s weather brings a cold rain for the immediate D.C. Metropolitan Area. An inch of December snowfall hasn’t occurred in Washington, D.C. since 2017. That’s despite the nation’s capital averaging 1.7” of snow this month. This should be encouraging news for winter weather enthusiasts in the DMV.

DC’s cold conclusion to November

 

A November day in Potomac, Maryland

The colder than average final days of November will help this month finish with near average monthly temperatures. That’s in contrast to last November that finished as DC’s warmest on record. Not only has this been a colder than average month, but also a drier than average month.

Daily temperatures have vacillated between above and below average levels in the nation’s capital regularly this November. This month will finish with three days of highs in the 70s. That’s compared to the three days of highs in the 80s last November. This month also featured some winter-like days. DC’s high/low temperatures of 48°/37° on Thanksgiving Day made for DC’s coldest Thanksgiving since 2018. 

Although this month will finish with a near average temperature (combining daily high and low temperatures), it may feel especially cool considering how warm last November was. While November 2024 was DC’s warmest on record having finished more than five degrees warmer than average, this November will finish within 0.5° of average.

Nine of DC’s 15 warmest November’s have occurred just since 2000. NOAA’s current weather averages (for temperatures and precipitation) are updated every decade and the current averages reflect the 30-year period of 1991-2020. That means many of DC’s warmest November’s were factored into the current averages.

This November is DC’s eighth drier than average month of 2025. That has exacerbated the drought conditions across the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia). With only 0.84” of rain as of November 29, it is well below the November average of 2.91”.

DC’s driest November’s (Source: National Weather Service)

1. 0.29” (1981)
2. 0.37” (1965)
3. 0.53” (1917)
4. 0.55” (2001, 1922)
6. 0.60” (2012, 1908)
8. 0.76” (2016, 1936)
10. 0.79” (1930, 1890)
12. 0.80” (1903)
13. 0.81” (1941)
14. 0.85” (1991, 1976)
16. 0.89” (1909)
17. 0.91” (1998)
18. 0.93” (1915)
19. 0.94” (1949)
20. 0.95” (1933)

Average – 2.91”

Weather Quiz

 

A stellar late-November day in Washington, D.C.

True or False.

Washington, D.C. has never had both a snowy Thanksgiving and a snowy Christmas in the same year. “Snowy” can be defined as either old snow on the ground from a previous winter storm, or accumulating snowfall on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days themselves.