In the U.S., December snowfall typically ranges from 0–2 inches in mild zones to 10–20+ inches in snowy regions, based on climate normals.
December is the month most people associate with the first widespread snows. Yet the answer to “how much snow typically falls in december?” depends on where you live, your elevation, and the local storm track. Below, you’ll get clear ranges, city examples from official climate normals, and quick ways to estimate what your home area usually sees.
At-A-Glance December Snow Ranges
This table compresses the big picture. Use it to place your town in a broad bracket before drilling into local station data.
| Region | Typical December Snow (inches) |
|---|---|
| Gulf Coast & Florida | 0–0.5 |
| Southern Plains & Lower South | 0–2 |
| Mid-Atlantic I-95 Corridor | 1–5 |
| Interior Northeast & New England | 5–12 |
| Upper Midwest & Northern Plains | 6–12 |
| Great Lakes Snowbelts | 20–40 |
| Rocky Mountain High Terrain | 10–30 |
| Pacific Northwest Lowlands | 0–3 |
| Alaska Southcentral & Interior | 10–30 |
Why Normals Matter
“Normal” snowfall comes from 30-year averages compiled by federal climate records. These benchmarks are updated each decade and help set expectations for a typical month. Storms still swing higher or lower in any one year, but normals give you a sound starting point.
How We Chose The Examples
To keep things practical, the city snapshots below use 1991–2020 normals where available from National Weather Service offices. They illustrate what “typical” looks like in December for places many travelers watch each year.
How Much Snow Typically Falls In December: Regional Patterns
Upper Midwest
- Chicago, Illinois: December normal snowfall is about 7.6 inches.
- Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota: December often lands near the mid-single digits to low teens.
- Detroit, Michigan: December averages close to 8.9 inches.
Interior Northeast & Great Lakes
- Buffalo, New York: December normals land well into the teens thanks to lake-effect bursts.
- Boston, Massachusetts: December usually brings several inches, with big swings tied to coastal storms.
- Rochester & Watertown, New York: Frequent lake-effect days can push totals higher than nearby inland areas.
Rockies & High Terrain
- Denver, Colorado: December is a steady snow month; upslope events can lift totals quickly.
- Wasatch Front, Utah: Snow is common along the benches, with much larger totals in nearby mountains.
Pacific Northwest
- Seattle, Washington: In town, December snow is sporadic; most years see a trace to a couple inches, while some years deliver much more when cold air pools.
- Cascades: Ski areas pile up feet of snow in a typical December, even when the lowlands are rainy.
Mid-Atlantic I-95 Corridor
- New York City (Central Park): The long-term December normal sits near a few inches, but recent seasons show large year-to-year swings.
- Washington, D.C.: December can be quiet or active depending on the track of coastal lows and the timing of cold air.
South & Southwest
- Dallas–Fort Worth and Atlanta: December snow happens, but measurable monthly totals are usually on the low end of the national range.
- Desert Southwest cities: Snow is rare in town but common on nearby mountains.
Alaska
- Anchorage: December is one of the snowier months, commonly in the low-to-mid double digits, with larger events when Gulf systems line up.
Typical December Snowfall Amounts By Region—Quick Guide
Monthly normals are not a promise. They are an average across 30 winters, which often hides the spikiness of real weather. A place with an eight-inch normal might swing from a dusting one year to a foot and a half the next. That’s why travelers should treat the normal as a planning baseline, then keep an eye on week-ahead forecasts as trips approach.
Coastal New England
Nor’easters steer the show. When cold air locks in, totals climb fast. When the track hugs the shoreline, warm air noses inland and turns a setup to rain or sleet. That’s why month-to-month stats bounce more in Boston and Providence than in interior towns.
Appalachians
Ridges from West Virginia into western North Carolina often outpace nearby valleys. Upslope flow squeezes extra moisture from passing systems, so small elevation changes can double local totals during a cold pattern.
High Plains
Clipper systems deliver powdery bursts riding in from Alberta. Individual events are often light, but frequent. Wind can drift snow and reduce visibility even when accumulations are modest.
Interior Northwest
Valleys in Idaho and eastern Washington collect steady light snows through December. The big numbers stack in nearby ranges, where orographic lift makes every passing wave productive.
City Snapshots From Official Normals
The examples below come from National Weather Service climate pages and illustrate typical December snowfall. See the December normals for Chicago for a representative office page with 1991–2020 values.
| City | December Normal Snow (in) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | 7.6 | 1991–2020 normal |
| Detroit, MI | 8.9 | 1991–2020 normal |
| New York, NY (Central Park) | ~5 | Long-term average varies by analysis |
| Seattle, WA | ~1–2 | Highly variable at low elevations |
| Denver, CO | ~8 | Influenced by upslope events |
| Buffalo, NY | ~27 | Lake-effect prone |
| Anchorage, AK | ~16 | Cold, storm-fed month |
What Drives December Snow Where You Live
Latitude And Elevation
Colder air masses reach farther south by December, but elevation can matter just as much as latitude. A 1,000-foot rise can flip rain to snow, while nearby valleys stay slushy.
Storm Tracks
Where the jet stream guides storm centers controls who gets steady snow versus mixed rain. A track west of a city can pull warm air in and cut totals; a track offshore favors colder air and higher amounts along the coast.
Lake-Effect Engine
Downwind of the Great Lakes, cold air blowing over open water creates narrow snow bands that boost December totals dramatically. That’s why lakeside belts post numbers several times higher than inland towns a short drive away.
Ocean Influence
Coastal cities depend on the dance between cold air and Atlantic moisture. When the cold hangs on, nor’easters can deliver a month’s worth in a day; when it doesn’t, slushy mixes win.
How To Estimate Your Local December Normal Quickly
- Find your official station. NOAA’s climate normals tool lets you search by city or ZIP code.
- Look at the 1991–2020 monthly snowfall line. That’s the benchmark for a typical December.
- Compare to recent years. If the last few Decembers ran above or below the normal, expect a swing back toward the average over time.
If you’re wondering how much snow typically falls in december in your town, use the normals as your baseline and adjust for local quirks like elevation or lake-effect bands.
What The Numbers Mean For Travel And Planning
Road Crews And Plow Budgets
Towns that average only one to three inches usually treat December events as short-lived nuisances, while Great Lakes and mountain communities plan for frequent plowing and anti-icing from the first week of the month.
Air Travel
Airports where December normals sit above about six inches tend to activate deicing operations often, which can lengthen queues on storm days. Build margin into itineraries during active patterns.
Home Maintenance
Gutters, roof lines, and walkways feel the weight of early-season storms. Clearing leaves, checking heat tape where used, and staging shovels before December pays off when the first advisory hits.
Outdoor Plans
If your area’s normal is near zero, December hikes may be muddy rather than snowy. In snow towns, microspikes and insulated boots make trails safer by mid-month.
Why One December Can Feel So Different
Normals smooth out year-to-year volatility. Pattern drivers, such as a La Niña winter that deflects storms north of the Mid-Atlantic, can nudge a month quieter in one region and louder in another. Teleconnections aren’t destiny, but they tilt the odds for who sees frequent snow bands versus cold rain.
How Much Snow Typically Falls In December? | Planning Takeaways
- If you live near the Great Lakes, a typical December can bring 20 to 40 inches, with big bursts from lake-effect bands.
- In the Upper Midwest and northern Plains, six to 12 inches is common, with clipper systems boosting totals.
- Along the I-95 corridor from D.C. to Boston, one to five inches is typical, but one coastal storm can double that in a day.
- In the Rockies and Wasatch, towns see 10 to 30 inches while nearby mountains stack several feet.
- Pacific Northwest lowlands usually pick up a trace to a couple inches, even as the Cascades get hammered.
- Alaska’s populated southcentral region often lands in the teens for the month.
December Snow For Schools And Events
District leaders look at normals to size staff and equipment. A town that averages six to ten inches usually plans multiple treatment cycles each month. Towns with one to three inches keep a smaller fleet and lean more on pretreating. For outdoor events, a venue with a five-inch normal can often stay open by clearing between waves, while a lake-effect venue might need built-in buffer days.
How Elevation And Microclimates Skew The “Typical”
Two spots a few miles apart can report very different December totals. Hilltops run colder at night and collect more snow on marginal days. Urban cores run warmer, trimming accumulations near large heat sources. Close to big lakes, narrow snow bands can park over one side of town and leave the other side nearly bare. If you live near a slope, a lake shore, or a city center, expect your number to lean away from the regional average.
Normals And Updates
Climate normals are refreshed every decade to fold in new data. Shifts can be small, but they matter to expectations. Many snow belts ticked down slightly from the 1981–2010 set to the 1991–2020 set, while some interior regions changed little. The point is clear: use the current normals when you compare your month to “typical.”
How To Turn Normals Into A Quick Personal Estimate
- Check your station’s December normal in inches.
- If you sit downwind of a large lake, add a small buffer to account for bands that may clip your neighborhood more than the airport station.
- If you live 1,000–2,000 feet higher than the station, add a few inches for colder ground and orographic boost.
- Scan the seven-day outlook before trips. If a series of waves is lining up, plan for above-normal impacts even if the month finishes near normal.
Common Misreads To Avoid
- Using seasonal totals to guess December: many cities front-load snow in January and February.
- Treating last year as the template: year-to-year spread is wide, especially near the coast.
- Ignoring rain-snow line details: a one-degree shift can swing totals by several inches in a single day.
Method & Sources
All ranges come from U.S. Climate Normals and National Weather Service climate pages for representative cities. Station normals are updated every ten years and reflect the 1991–2020 period. City pages and local office summaries supply the monthly values cited in the tables above.
Wonder how much snow typically falls in december? Check normals first.