Newport weather in December

December in Newport: cold, rainy, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Newport🇺🇸 United States · Northeast & Atlantic Canada · Beach41
  1. 39Jan
  2. 46Feb
  3. 54Mar
  4. 67Apr
  5. 74May
  6. 82Jun
  7. 88Jul
  8. 86Aug
  9. 78Sep
  10. 65Oct
  11. 57Nov
  12. 41Dec

#11 of 12 months in Newport · #1290 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 41/100 (tier F)

Days
7°C
Nights
-1°C
Wet days
8
Sun
5.6 h
Humidity
71%
Daylight
9 h
Newport, United States
Photo: Beth Fitzpatrick · Pexels

Traveller notes on Newport in December

Other months in Newport

Regulars are specific that the ocean's cooling effect keeps this month genuinely cool here, frost still possible right up until Mother's Day in some years despite the calendar saying late spring. Our row backs that cool, still-changeable read, 18.3C over 9.4C nights feeling 7C, with 86.6mm of rain across 7.3 days and a real 20 kph wind. Regulars are consistent this counts as a genuinely good time to visit regardless, summer's tourist crush still weeks away and the Cliff Walk and mansions comfortable to explore without the heat. Layers covering a real range from cold mornings to milder afternoons remain the standard packing advice. The sea sits at a cold 12.2C, firmly too cold for casual swimming this early. The record: humidity 78 percent, 9.9 hours of sun and AQI 41.
FrostPossibleUntilMothersDay · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars describe the ocean's effect running in reverse from summer this month, keeping this coastal city noticeably milder than inland areas rather than cooler - almost summer-like warmth without summer's crowds or heat waves. Our row backs the mild read, 23.1C over 14.8C nights, with 81.5mm of rain across 6.5 days. Regulars note the season here doesn't officially wind down until Columbus Day weekend in October, so the town stays genuinely lively on weekdays as well as weekends through this month, with the International Boat Show adding a real, date-specific spike in both crowds and lodging prices. The sea sits at 19.6C. The record: humidity 79 percent, 8.6 hours of sun, an 18.7 kph wind and AQI 39.
OceanKeepsTheCoastWarmerThanInland · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Newport-forum threads on the best time to visit repeatedly single out October, describing it alongside September as one of the year's most reliable stretches - minimal rain, crisp blue skies, and daytime temperatures that can still touch the 70s Fahrenheit in the first half of the month before settling into the 50s later on. Fall foliage peaks specifically in the last two to three weeks of October, timed well for anyone building a trip around the Cliff Walk or the historic mansions with color in the trees behind them. Regulars note the swimming season is fully over by this point, no lifeguards on the beaches past the first week of September, so October here is a scenery-and-sightseeing month rather than a beach one. Crowds thin out noticeably from the summer peak, making popular spots like the Cliff Walk and downtown waterfront genuinely walkable again. The record: 18.1C days feeling like 17C, 9.7C nights, 101mm across 8.7 days, a 16.9C sea, 76 percent humidity and 7.5 hours of sun.
CliffWalkOctoberRegular · October · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
June in Newport is lovely and the crowd advice is unusually specific: come mid-to-late June on a weekday, because weddings are now such a large part of the town that weekends fill regardless of the season. Fog is the other June variable - one June trip report has the ferry cancelled for it, and a foggy morning on the Cliff Walk with the views still worth having - which our row hints at with 80 percent humidity under a 23.6C day. The sea is still cold at 16.4C. So: the mansions and the Cliff Walk in the week, and a plan that survives a grey morning. The record: 14.6C nights, 5.7 precipitation days carrying 53mm, 11.2 hours of sun and an 18.6 kph wind.
WeekdaysNotWeddingWeekends · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Newport climate normals — December

Daytime high7°C / 44°F🧥 cold
Nighttime low-1°C / 31°F
Feels like (high)2°C / 36°F
Sea temperature9°C / 49°F🥶 cold sea
Rainfall97 mm / 3.8 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days8 days
Humidity71%💧 humid
Dew point-1°C / 30°F
Sunshine5.6 h/day
Daylight9.2 h
Wind24 km/h / 15 mph
Snowfall6.3 cm / 2.5 in
Air quality (US AQI)32🍃 good

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

Crowds in Newport 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.

Peak crowdsChristmas at the mansions, Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Newport'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 weatherNewport's weather peaks June–August, best around July.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Newport in December

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

  • Holiday

    Christmas at the mansions

    20 Nov – 2 JanChristmas & New YearCrowded

    The Breakers, Marble House and the Elms are dressed and lit from late November to New Year, and it is the only time of year the Gilded Age houses feel lived in rather than toured. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

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

Where is Newport?

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Newport in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Newport?
December in Newport: cold, rainy, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Newport on SeasonMap's comfort score (41/100).
What is the weather like in Newport in December?
In December, Newport averages a daily high of 6.5°C and a low of -0.8°C, with about 97.2 mm of rain over roughly 7.7 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Newport in December?
Newport has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 32 in December.
Does it snow in Newport in December?
Newport sees roughly 6.3 cm of snowfall in December.

Within 300 km: Boston's First Night on 31 Dec – 1 Jan, and Nantucket's Christmas Stroll around 27 Nov – 8 Dec.