Great Basin National Park weather in December

December in Great Basin National Park: freezing, a little rain, with clean air — a fair time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Great Basin National Park🇺🇸 United States · Rockies · National park56
  1. 48Jan
  2. 53Feb
  3. 60Mar
  4. 72Apr
  5. 77May
  6. 90Jun
  7. 95Jul
  8. 93Aug
  9. 87Sep
  10. 79Oct
  11. 69Nov
  12. 56Dec

#10 of 12 months in Great Basin National Park · #1048 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 56/100 (tier D)

Days
1°C
Nights
-9°C
Wet days
9
Sun
7.6 h
Humidity
58%
Daylight
10 h
Great Basin National Park, United States
Photo: James R Bouldin · Public domain

Traveller notes on Great Basin National Park in December

Other months in Great Basin National Park

Great Basin-forum reviews on a January visit describe one Lehman Caves tour as genuinely personalized, the visitor naming themselves one of only four people on that day's single tour. Regulars call Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive genuinely closed to vehicles in January, several posters naming it still open to skiers and snowshoers instead. Posters call Lower Lehman Creek Campground the only real option staying open through winter, several regulars naming this the standard camping choice for a January visit. Regulars call the park genuinely beautiful and peaceful this time of year, several threads naming light visitation as a real draw despite thirty to forty inches of snow being possible in a given winter month. Posters recommend checking current cave tour availability before a January trip, several regulars calling this standard given how limited winter scheduling can be. The record: -1.8C days, -10.5C nights, 84.2mm across nearly 11 days and 67 percent humidity.
GreatBasinJanuaryRegular · January · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Great Basin-forum threads on an April visit describe most of the park's higher terrain as still inaccessible, posters calling the scenic drive up to Wheeler Peak typically closed until Memorial Day weekend regardless of how mild April feels. Regulars call real accumulation still possible, conditions varying enough that a mild stretch is just as plausible as a real storm. Posters call Lehman Cave tours a genuine highlight regardless of surface conditions, several recommending booking through the park website ahead of an April visit. Regulars recommend checking road status before a day trip, one visitor specifically asking whether Wheeler Peak Drive would be open with only a single day available. Posters recommend real cold-weather layers regardless of how the valley floor looks, elevation delivering a considerably different April than the drive up suggests. The record: 6C days feeling like 4C, -5.4C nights, an extraordinarily high 67.6mm across nearly 9 days and 62 percent humidity.
GreatBasinAprilRegular · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Great Basin-forum threads on a November visit describe upper elevations as genuinely snowbound by this point, posters calling the Bristlecone Pine Forest and Alpine Lakes trails effectively closed around Thanksgiving. Regulars call the Lehman Caves tour the one activity reliably still running, real underground access regardless of surface conditions. Posters describe the park's elevation range, roughly five thousand to over thirteen thousand feet, as making autumn and winter genuinely brisk even at the lower stretches. Regulars call snow season here running broadly October through spring, November sitting solidly inside that window. Posters recommend checking current road status before planning any higher-elevation activity, conditions capable of closing routes with little warning. Regulars recommend real cold-weather layers regardless of which part of the park is on the itinerary. The record: 4.2C days feeling like 0C, -6C nights, 45.8mm across over 8 days and 49 percent humidity.
GreatBasinNovemberRegular · November · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Great Basin-forum threads comparing September and October describe this as a genuine transition window, real risk of an early system, Wheeler Peak's trailhead above ten thousand feet already reporting a dusting by month's end some years. Posters call the park's dramatic elevation range, from around five thousand feet up past thirteen thousand at the summit, a real factor in how much conditions vary. Regulars describe autumn here as genuinely brisk overall, comfortable at lower elevation while the high country turns properly wintry ahead of the calendar. Posters recommend checking current road and campground status before a route, some higher sections closing once real accumulation arrives. Regulars call the bristlecone pine groves and cave tours worth the trip regardless of conditions. Posters recommend real layers given how unpredictable October runs at elevation. The record: 8.5C days feeling like 5C, -2.2C nights, a notably high 3cm of fresh accumulation and 41 percent humidity.
GreatBasinOctoberRegular · October · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Great Basin National Park's card on the map.

Great Basin National Park climate normals — December

Daytime high1°C / 34°F🥶 freezing
Nighttime low-9°C / 16°F
Feels like (high)-4°C / 25°F
Rainfall64 mm / 2.5 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days9 days
Humidity58%🍃 comfortable
Dew point-16°C / 4°F
Sunshine7.6 h/day
Daylight9.5 h
Wind10 km/h / 6 mph
Snowfall30.8 cm / 12.1 in
Air quality (US AQI)36🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Great Basin National Park in December

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

BusyWinter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Great Basin National Park's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Toughest weatherGreat Basin National Park's weather peaks June–August, best around July.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Great Basin National Park in December

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Closure

    Wheeler Peak drive shuts

    1 Nov – 20 May · usually

    Park roads generally run from Memorial Day to late October, and the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive closes with the first real snow. Baker, Strawberry and Snake Creek roads go the same way, which puts the bristlecones out of reach until spring. Source ↗

  • Season

    Snow season

    Ski season

    About 31 cm of snow falls in the month.

    from the climate normals

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Great Basin National Park — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Great Basin National Park?

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Great Basin National Park in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Great Basin National Park?
December in Great Basin National Park: freezing, a little rain, with clean air — a fair time to visit. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Great Basin National Park on SeasonMap's comfort score (56/100).
What is the weather like in Great Basin National Park in December?
In December, Great Basin National Park averages a daily high of 0.9°C and a low of -9.1°C, with about 63.6 mm of rain over roughly 9 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Great Basin National Park in December?
Great Basin National Park has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 36 in December.
Does it snow in Great Basin National Park in December?
Great Basin National Park sees roughly 30.8 cm of snowfall in December.

Within 300 km: Zion National Park's California condors over the canyon on 1 Jan – 31 Dec, and Salt Lake City's Temple Square lights around 27 Nov – 1 Jan.