Phoenix weather in December
December in Phoenix: nice, dry — an excellent time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#5 of 12 months in Phoenix · #435 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 81/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 21°C
- Nights
- 9°C
- Wet days
- 3
- Sun
- 8.2 h
- Humidity
- 52%
- Daylight
- 10 h

Traveller notes on Phoenix in December
Regulars describe typically dry, sunny days in the 60s-70s Fahrenheit with genuinely chilly evenings, and note that resorts specifically run heated pools this time of year to make swimming a real option despite the season. Our row backs the mild-but-cool read, 20.5C reading as 18C over 8.5C nights feeling 5C, with rain minimal at 19mm across 2.7 days, and humidity down to a dry 52 percent. Regulars are candid that occasional cold spells can drop daytime highs into the 50s Fahrenheit with colder nights, and one long-time Scottsdale resident even reports snow showers three times in ten years around Christmas week - rare, but real. This remains genuinely one of the more popular months here, people specifically traveling in for the mild winter climate. The record: 8.2 hours of sun, an 11.6 kph wind and AQI 54.
Other months in Phoenix
April is the month regulars here call their favourite: cool mornings, warm days, and the spring-training crowd gone home, because that fills March and takes the hotel rates with it. Their figures are the mid-eighties by day and mid-fifties at night; ours run a little warmer at 31.4C over 17C, and the number that matters more is 21 percent humidity with a dew point of minus 1.6C - which is why a 31.4C afternoon reads as 29C and why the mornings are genuinely cold. Their day plan follows from it: hike at dawn, pool in the afternoon. Rain is 2.8mm in the whole month. The record: 12 hours of sun, a 15.9 kph wind and AQI 53.
Regulars call February here perfect hiking weather and give highs in the low seventies with overnight lows in the upper forties. Our row agrees almost exactly: 22C by day and 9.3C by night, with 19.2mm of rain across 2.9 days and 9.5 hours of sun. The gap between those two figures is the point - nearly thirteen degrees, on 44 percent humidity and a dew point below zero - so a trail that is pleasant at eight in the morning is cold, and the same trail at two is warm. The other reason to prefer February is the calendar: baseball spring training fills the valley through March, so this is the same weather with fewer people in it. The record: a 13.5 kph wind and AQI 50.
November is the month Phoenix becomes walkable again, and the forum's advice is nonetheless to hike early or late. Even in November the midday sun is hot enough to matter - some days still reach 80F - and the trails people name are up mountains, Camelback, South Mountain and the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, where there is no shade to speak of. North Mountain is the one they hand to anybody wanting easy or mid-range. The other half of the month is the evening: early November is very pleasant but a jacket comes out after dark, and the later in the month you go the chillier it gets. Our row's 26C day against a 12.9C night is that spread. The record: 1.4 precipitation days carrying 10.4mm, humidity 37 percent and 9.2 hours of sun.
Phoenix forum threads consistently rate January as one of the best months in the country weather-wise, with typical highs in the mid-60s Fahrenheit and lows in the low-40s, though posters noted a warm stretch pushing into the 70s or even near-record 80s isn't unheard of. Despite technically being part of the winter rainy season, actual rain was described as rare - usually under an inch total for the whole month, maybe 3-4 days with any measurable rain at all. The consistent advice was a light layer for cool mornings that peels off as temperatures climb fast through the day, with posters citing hiking conditions as close to ideal and a full calendar of January events including the Fiesta Bowl and various car shows.
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Phoenix climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Phoenix 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 and New Year, Fiesta Bowl week, Winter / Christmas break in United States(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Phoenix'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).
Fair weatherPhoenix's best weather comes in February, March and November — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Phoenix in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Desert hiking season
15 Oct – 15 Apr · usuallyTrail seasonCamelback, South Mountain and the Superstitions are only sensible between mid-October and mid-April, which is also when the resorts charge the most. Half the country's snowbirds are here for it.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
24 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New YearClosuresCrowdedChristmas Day and New Year's Day are federal holidays: on 25 December most shops, museums and many restaurants close, and airports stay busy through the week between as families travel. New Year's Eve fills bars and restaurants, many at set-menu prices. Source ↗
- Festival
Fiesta Bowl week
26 Dec – 2 Jan · usuallySporting eventCrowdedBook earlyCollege football brings two bowl games and their travelling fans to Glendale between Christmas and New Year, on top of the winter residents already here. Resort rates spike for the fortnight. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Phoenix — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Phoenix?
Phoenix in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Phoenix?
- December in Phoenix: nice, dry — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #5 of 12 months for Phoenix on SeasonMap's comfort score (81/100).
- What is the weather like in Phoenix in December?
- In December, Phoenix averages a daily high of 20.5°C and a low of 8.5°C, with about 19 mm of rain over roughly 2.7 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Phoenix in December?
- Phoenix has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 54 in December.
Within 300 km: Sedona's Tlaquepaque Festival of Lights around 8–16 Dec, and Grand Canyon National Park's Winter on the South Rim on 1 Dec – 28 Feb.