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Ottawa Weather in December

In December, Ottawa averages a high of -2°C (28°F) and a low of -9°C (15°F), from 55 years of daily records (1971–2026).

-2°C
Average high
28°F
-9°C
Average low
15°F
16°C
Record high
60°F · December 6, 2001
-32°C
Record low
-26°F · December 25, 1980

What December Is Like in Ottawa

  • December in Ottawa has become 2.6°C (4.7°F) warmer on average: the 2011–2025 average against 1970–1989.
  • The coldest December reading, -32°C (-26°F) on December 25, 1980, has not been matched in 46 years.
  • Snow falls on about 13 days in a typical December.
  • The warmest December in the record was 2015; the coldest was 1989.

At least 1 mm of rain falls on 37% of December days, and the month averages 75 mm in total.

Average daytime high in Ottawa, every December since 1971
-14°C-4°C5°C19801990200020102020December 1971: -3.4°CDecember 1972: -4.3°CDecember 1973: -3.2°CDecember 1974: -0.4°CDecember 1975: -4.9°CDecember 1976: -7.2°CDecember 1977: -4.6°CDecember 1978: -2.8°CDecember 1979: -1.2°CDecember 1980: -7.3°CDecember 1981: -0.9°CDecember 1982: 0.1°CDecember 1983: -5.4°CDecember 1984: -0.2°CDecember 1985: -4.6°CDecember 1986: -1.1°CDecember 1987: -0.5°CDecember 1988: -3.0°CDecember 1989: -12.9°CDecember 1990: -0.7°CDecember 1991: -3.4°CDecember 1992: -1.5°CDecember 1993: -2.9°CDecember 1994: -0.4°CDecember 1995: -5.6°CDecember 1996: -0.1°CDecember 1997: -2.4°CDecember 1998: 0.8°CDecember 1999: -0.9°CDecember 2000: -6.1°CDecember 2001: 2.4°CDecember 2002: -1.5°CDecember 2003: -1.4°CDecember 2004: -5.1°CDecember 2005: -2.9°CDecember 2006: 2.0°CDecember 2007: -3.9°CDecember 2008: -3.5°CDecember 2009: -2.7°CDecember 2010: -2.6°CDecember 2011: 0.4°CDecember 2012: -1.7°CDecember 2013: -5.3°CDecember 2014: -0.9°CDecember 2015: 3.9°CDecember 2016: -1.2°CDecember 2017: -6.7°CDecember 2018: -2.1°CDecember 2019: -0.7°CDecember 2020: 0.2°CDecember 2021: -0.9°CDecember 2022: 0.7°CDecember 2023: 1.2°CDecember 2024: -0.6°CDecember 2025: -3.2°C
Warmest: 2015 (3.9°C)Latest: 2025 (-3.2°C)10-year averageLong-run average (-2.3°C)

Look Up a Day in December

See the weather in Ottawa on any December date, year by year.

Source: NOAA GHCN-Daily, Ottawa Cda (1971–2023); Ottawa Cda Rcs (2000–2026). Averages cover 1971–2026. How we compute this

← PreviousOttawa in NovemberNext →Ottawa in January

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