Weather in Las Vegas in December, Including Average Temperature, Highs and Lows, and Snow?

By Steve Beauregard

December is coldest month of the year in Las Vegas, NV. It’s a month when the daily low temperatures are often in the high 30’s, and where the daily highs average in the mid-50’s.

It’s also the slowest time of the year, visitor-wise. Which is why many of the popular shows along the Strip reboot and give their performance a break by going dark, (not having performances), during the month.

However the combination of mild weather and fewer visitors means deals can be had for hotels, along with fewer lines for buffets and shows. If you are leery of crowds, December may be the best time to go to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas weather in December is not too bad, with daily high temperatures in the mid 50’s
Las Vegas weather in December is not too bad, with daily high temperatures in the mid 50’s

I personally, have found incredibly cheap hotel deals in Las Vegas during December, even factoring in the resort fee. Plus, if you are from a cold part of the country, as I am, where the mercury can dip below zero, a daily high temperature in Las Vegas in the mid to high 50’s doesn’t sound so bad.

Average temperature in Las Vegas in December

According to the National Weather Service, the normal temperature in Las Vegas in December is 47.7 degrees Fahrenheit, or 8.72 Celsius.

The normal daily highs range from 56 degrees during the last week of December to the upper 50’s during the first week of the month.

The normal December lows in Las Vegas range from 38 degrees during the latter half of the month, to 41 degrees during the first two days.

Some other weather facts about Las Vegas weather in December:

Las Vegas High and Low Temperatures in December

The normal daily high temperature in Sin City in December is 56.6 degrees.

Hottest Temperature in December in Las Vegas

The Wynn goes all out during Christmas
The Wynn goes all out during Christmas

The warmest December day in the history of Las Vegas took place on December 2nd, 1940, when the city saw a high of 78 degrees, (or 25.5 Celsius).

(Related: Las Vegas weather in November)

Coldest Temperatures in Las Vegas During December

The normal daily low for Vegas in December is 38.7 degrees, (3.72 degrees Celsius). From December 14th to the 31st, the typical daily low is exactly 38 degrees. Everyone has their own temperature comfort level, but I’ve found that walking along the Strip late on a December night calls for a light sweater is all.

However I wasn’t walking on the Strip at night on December 23rd, 1990. That’s when Sin City hit the record for the coldest December day in the city’s history. On that day, Las Vegas residents felt a temperature of just 11 degrees. It was the one day that the hookers really needed those fur coats.

Precipitation in Las Vegas in December

December is the third wettest month in Las Vegas, when the region receives (normally) a half of inch of precipitation during the month. Only January and February are wetter months.

December 29, 2004 was the wettest December day in recorded Las Vegas history, when the city received 1.13 inches of precipitation.

However the snowiest December in Sin City’s history was December of 2008, when the area was the recipient of 3.6 inches of snow. (Inches of precipitation are not the same as inches of snowfall.). This 3.6 inches of snow during the month all fell on one day, December 17, 2008.

Las Vegas Weather and Temperatures During Christmas

Coming out to Las Vegas during Christmas? The casino/hotels go all out with elaborate and beautiful decorations, even if the normal daytime weather won’t remind you of an old fashioned Christmas. Since they started keeping records, temperatures on Christmas Day have reached at least 60 degrees just over 1/3rd of the time.

The average high and low temperatures on December 25th in Las Vegas are 56 degrees and 38 degrees Fahrenheit respectively.

As far as a White Christmas in Las Vegas? It has never happened. There have been traces here and there on occasion, however the National Weather Service says that since they have been keeping records (1937), there has never been a recordable amount of snow on the ground in Las Vegas on a Christmas morning.

Interesting Las Vegas Weather and Other Facts for the Month of December

* The highest December wind gust recorded in Las Vegas history showed the wind at 68 miles per hour. This happened on December 5th, 1951.

* December is the slowest month of the year for Sin City. Just over 3.1 million visitors come to Las Vegas during the month, which is slightly less than that of February’s visitor count – a month that typically has 3 less days in it too.

* The average daily hotel occupancy rate in December is the year’s low at 78.8%.

(Related: What is the highest temperature ever in Las Vegas?)

* For hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, the occupancy rate is 78.4%, while the casinos in Downtown Las Vegas have just over ¾ of their rooms, (75.9%), filled during the month.

* Not only is December the slowest time for tourists, it’s the absolute slowest month of the year for conventions. Of the top 25 most-attended conventions in Las Vegas each year, December has zero. The busiest convention held during the month is the Power-Gen International Conference (a trade show for those in the electricity and power-generating industry), when “just” 25,000 attendees roll into town early-December.

(Photos courtesy of Brad Parrett, and theSuperStar via Flickr).