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December Weather in Mount Shasta California, United States

Daily high temperatures decrease by 2°F, from 45°F to 42°F, rarely falling below 33°F or exceeding 54°F. The lowest daily average high temperature is 42°F on December 26.

Daily low temperatures decrease by 2°F, from 30°F to 28°F, rarely falling below 18°F or exceeding 38°F. The lowest daily average low temperature is 28°F on December 30.

For reference, on August 3, the hottest day of the year, temperatures in Mount Shasta typically range from 52°F to 85°F, while on December 30, the coldest day of the year, they range from 28°F to 42°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in December in Mount Shasta

Average High and Low Temperature in December in Mount ShastaDec112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313115°F15°F20°F20°F25°F25°F30°F30°F35°F35°F40°F40°F45°F45°F50°F50°F55°F55°F60°F60°F65°F65°F70°F70°FNovJanDec 2142°FDec 2142°F28°F28°FDec 145°FDec 145°F30°F30°FDec 3142°FDec 3142°F28°F28°FDec 1143°FDec 1143°F28°F28°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the hourly average temperatures for the quarter of the year centered on December. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in December in Mount Shasta

Average Hourly Temperature in December in Mount ShastaDec112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313112 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNovJanNowNowfreezingfreezingvery coldcoldvery cold
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

Candelario, Spain (5,542 miles away) is the far-away foreign place with temperatures most similar to Mount Shasta (view comparison).

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The month of December in Mount Shasta experiences essentially constant cloud cover, with the percentage of time that the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy remaining about 64% throughout the month.

The clearest day of the month is December 9, with clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy conditions 37% of the time.

For reference, on January 9, the cloudiest day of the year, the chance of overcast or mostly cloudy conditions is 65%, while on August 2, the clearest day of the year, the chance of clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy skies is 89%.

Cloud Cover Categories in December in Mount Shasta

Cloud Cover Categories in December in Mount ShastaDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%NovJanDec 137%Dec 137%Dec 3136%Dec 3136%Dec 1137%Dec 1137%Dec 2136%Dec 2136%NowNowclearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercast
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. In Mount Shasta, the chance of a wet day over the course of December is decreasing, starting the month at 35% and ending it at 31%.

For reference, the year's highest daily chance of a wet day is 36% on February 28, and its lowest chance is 3% on August 7.

Over the course of December in Mount Shasta, the chance of a day with only rain decreases from 24% to 15%, the chance of a day with mixed snow and rain increases from 9% to 12%, and the chance of a day with only snow remains an essentially constant 4% throughout.

Probability of Precipitation in December in Mount Shasta

Probability of Precipitation in December in Mount ShastaDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%0%5%5%10%10%15%15%20%20%25%25%30%30%35%35%40%40%NovJanDec 436%Dec 436%Dec 3131%Dec 3131%Dec 2133%Dec 2133%NowNowsnowmixedrain
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).

Rainfall

To show variation within the month and not just the monthly total, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day.

The average sliding 31-day rainfall during December in Mount Shasta is decreasing, starting the month at 4.4 inches, when it rarely exceeds 9.3 inches or falls below 0.7 inches, and ending the month at 3.9 inches, when it rarely exceeds 9.0 inches or falls below 0.4 inches.

The highest average 31-day accumulation is 4.5 inches on December 9.

Average Monthly Rainfall in December in Mount Shasta

The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.

Snowfall

As with rainfall, we consider the snowfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day.

The average sliding 31-day snowfall during December in Mount Shasta is rapidly increasing, starting the month at 6.1 inches, when it rarely exceeds 17.0 inches or falls below 0.3 inches, and ending the month at 9.4 inches, when it rarely exceeds 24.1 inches or falls below 0.1 inches.

The highest average 31-day accumulation is 9.4 inches on December 30.

Average Monthly Snowfall in December in Mount Shasta

The average snowfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average rainfall.

Over the course of December in Mount Shasta, the length of the day is essentially constant. The shortest day of the month is December 21, with 9 hours, 11 minutes of daylight and the longest day is December 1, with 9 hours, 24 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in December in Mount Shasta

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in December in Mount ShastaDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hrNovJanDec 219 hr, 11 minDec 219 hr, 11 minnightnightdaydayDec 19 hr, 24 minDec 19 hr, 24 minNowNow
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.

The earliest sunrise of the month in Mount Shasta is 7:16 AM on December 1 and the latest sunrise is 19 minutes later at 7:35 AM on December 31.

The earliest sunset is 4:39 PM on December 7 and the latest sunset is 10 minutes later at 4:50 PM on December 31.

Daylight saving time is observed in Mount Shasta during 2024, but it neither starts nor ends during December, so the entire month is in standard time.

For reference, on June 20, the longest day of the year, the Sun rises at 5:36 AM and sets 15 hours, 10 minutes later, at 8:45 PM, while on December 21, the shortest day of the year, it rises at 7:32 AM and sets 9 hours, 11 minutes later, at 4:43 PM.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in December in Mount Shasta

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in December in Mount ShastaDec112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313112 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMNovJan7:16 AM7:16 AMDec 14:40 PMDec 14:40 PM7:35 AM7:35 AMDec 314:50 PMDec 314:50 PM7:25 AM7:25 AMDec 114:40 PMDec 114:40 PM7:32 AM7:32 AMDec 214:43 PMDec 214:43 PMSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunsetNowNow
The solar day over the course of December. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in December in Mount Shasta

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in December in Mount ShastaDec112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313112 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNovJan0010102020001010202030NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of December 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for December 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases. The label associated with each bar indicates the date and time that the phase is obtained, and the companion time labels indicate the rise and set times of the Moon for the nearest time interval in which the moon is above the horizon.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in December in Mount Shasta

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in December in Mount ShastaDec112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313112 AM12 AM4 AM4 AM8 AM8 AM12 PM12 PM4 PM4 PM8 PM8 PM12 AM12 AMNovJanNov 15:48 AMNov 15:48 AMNov 151:29 PMNov 151:29 PMNov 3010:22 PMNov 3010:22 PMDec 151:02 AMDec 151:02 AMDec 302:28 PMDec 302:28 PMJan 132:28 PMJan 132:28 PMJan 294:37 AMJan 294:37 AM7:58 AM7:58 AM5:57 PM5:57 PM4:29 PM4:29 PM8:15 AM8:15 AM6:58 AM6:58 AM4:01 PM4:01 PM3:50 PM3:50 PM8:15 AM8:15 AM7:51 AM7:51 AM4:27 PM4:27 PM4:47 PM4:47 PM8:30 AM8:30 AM7:52 AM7:52 AM5:45 PM5:45 PMNowNow
The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.
Dec 2024IlluminationMoonriseMoonsetMoonriseMeridian PassingDistance
1
0%8:03 AMSE4:44 PMSW-12:23 PMS245,101 mi
2
3%9:04 AMSE5:36 PMSW-1:20 PMS243,009 mi
3
7%9:58 AMSE6:38 PMSW-2:18 PMS240,872 mi
4
14%10:43 AMSE7:47 PMWSW-3:15 PMS238,724 mi
5
23%11:20 AMESE9:00 PMWSW-4:10 PMS236,586 mi
6
33%11:50 AMESE10:13 PMWSW-5:01 PMS234,474 mi
7
44%12:16 PMESE11:26 PMWSW-5:50 PMS232,430 mi
8
50%12:39 PME--6:37 PMS230,531 mi
9
67%-12:39 AMW1:02 PME7:24 PMS228,897 mi
10
78%-1:52 AMW1:25 PMENE8:13 PMS227,686 mi
11
87%-3:08 AMWNW1:51 PMENE9:04 PMS227,070 mi
12
94%-4:27 AMWNW2:22 PMENE9:59 PMS227,209 mi
13
98%-5:47 AMWNW3:01 PMNE10:58 PMS228,203 mi
14
100%-7:04 AMNW3:50 PMNE--
15
100%-8:15 AMNW4:49 PMNE12:01 AMS230,059 mi
16
99%-9:13 AMNW5:57 PMNE1:03 AMS232,672 mi
17
95%-9:59 AMNW7:09 PMENE2:02 AMS235,831 mi
18
89%-10:34 AMWNW8:20 PMENE2:56 AMS239,258 mi
19
81%-11:02 AMWNW9:27 PMENE3:45 AMS242,655 mi
20
73%-11:25 AMWNW10:31 PMENE4:30 AMS245,744 mi
21
63%-11:45 AMW11:33 PME5:11 AMS248,290 mi
22
50%-12:03 PMW-5:50 AMS250,122 mi
23
44%12:33 AME12:21 PMW-6:29 AMS251,135 mi
24
34%1:34 AMESE12:40 PMWSW-7:08 AMS251,295 mi
25
25%2:35 AMESE1:02 PMWSW-7:49 AMS250,635 mi
26
17%3:39 AMESE1:27 PMWSW-8:33 AMS249,252 mi
27
10%4:44 AMESE1:58 PMWSW-9:21 AMS247,290 mi
28
5%5:50 AMSE2:38 PMSW-10:14 AMS244,933 mi
29
1%6:53 AMSE3:27 PMSW-11:10 AMS242,381 mi
30
0%7:51 AMSE4:27 PMSW-12:09 PMS239,832 mi
31
1%8:40 AMSE5:36 PMSW-1:08 PMS237,456 mi

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

The chance that a given day will be muggy in Mount Shasta is essentially constant during December, remaining around 0% throughout.

For reference, on July 9, the muggiest day of the year, there are muggy conditions 0% of the time, while on January 1, the least muggy day of the year, there are muggy conditions 0% of the time.

Humidity Comfort Levels in December in Mount Shasta

Humidity Comfort Levels in December in Mount ShastaDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%NovJanDec 10%Dec 10%Dec 310%Dec 310%Dec 110%Dec 110%Dec 210%Dec 210%drydry
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Mount Shasta is essentially constant during December, remaining within 0.1 miles per hour of 4.6 miles per hour throughout.

For reference, on March 15, the windiest day of the year, the daily average wind speed is 4.9 miles per hour, while on August 5, the calmest day of the year, the daily average wind speed is 3.8 miles per hour.

The highest daily average wind speed during December is 4.7 miles per hour on December 13.

Average Wind Speed in December in Mount Shasta

Average Wind Speed in December in Mount ShastaDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310 mph0 mph1 mph1 mph2 mph2 mph3 mph3 mph4 mph4 mph5 mph5 mph6 mph6 mph7 mph7 mph8 mph8 mphNovJanDec 134.7 mphDec 134.7 mphDec 14.6 mphDec 14.6 mphDec 314.5 mphDec 314.5 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

The hourly average wind direction in Mount Shasta throughout December is predominantly from the south, with a peak proportion of 41% on December 15.

Wind Direction in December in Mount Shasta

Wind Direction in December in Mount ShastaDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NovJanNowNowsoutheastnorthwest
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

The growing season in Mount Shasta typically lasts for 5.3 months (162 days), from around May 6 to around October 15, rarely starting before April 14 or after June 1, and rarely ending before September 24 or after November 3.

The month of December in Mount Shasta is reliably fully outside of the growing season.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in December in Mount Shasta

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in December in Mount ShastaDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%NovJan-0%Dec 16-0%Dec 16Nov 310%Nov 310%NowNowfreezingvery coldcoldcool
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

The average accumulated growing degree days in Mount Shasta are essentially constant during December, remaining within 1°F of 2,301°F throughout.

Growing Degree Days in December in Mount Shasta

The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of December, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy in Mount Shasta is essentially constant during December, remaining within 0.1 kWh of 1.8 kWh throughout.

The lowest average daily incident shortwave solar energy during December is 1.7 kWh on December 19.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in December in Mount Shasta

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in December in Mount ShastaDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310.0 kWh0.0 kWh0.5 kWh0.5 kWh1.0 kWh1.0 kWh1.5 kWh1.5 kWh2.0 kWh2.0 kWh2.5 kWh2.5 kWh3.0 kWh3.0 kWh3.5 kWh3.5 kWh4.0 kWh4.0 kWhNovJanDec 191.7 kWhDec 191.7 kWhDec 11.9 kWhDec 11.9 kWhDec 311.8 kWhDec 311.8 kWhNowNow
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Mount Shasta are 41.310 deg latitude, -122.312 deg longitude, and 3,573 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Mount Shasta contains very significant variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 1,096 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 3,681 feet. Within 10 miles contains very significant variations in elevation (11,919 feet). Within 50 miles also contains extreme variations in elevation (13,642 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Mount Shasta is covered by shrubs (79%) and trees (14%), within 10 miles by trees (53%) and shrubs (40%), and within 50 miles by trees (50%) and shrubs (42%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Mount Shasta, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

There are 4 weather stations near enough to contribute to our estimation of the temperature and dew point in Mount Shasta.

For each station, the records are corrected for the elevation difference between that station and Mount Shasta according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

The estimated value at Mount Shasta is computed as the weighted average of the individual contributions from each station, with weights proportional to the inverse of the distance between Mount Shasta and a given station.

The stations contributing to this reconstruction are:

  • Mount Shasta (KMHS, 99%, 1.9 mi, northwest, -39 ft elevation change)
  • Lonnie Pool Field Weaverville Airport (KO54, 0.7%, 50 mi, southwest, -1,224 ft elevation change)
  • Redding Municipal Airport (KRDD, 0.4%, 55 mi, south, -3,071 ft elevation change)
  • Alturas Municipal Airport (KAAT, 0.3%, 92 mi, east, 801 ft elevation change)

To get a sense of how much these sources agree with each other, you can view a comparison of Mount Shasta and the stations that contribute to our estimates of its temperature history and climate. Please note that each source's contribution is adjusted for elevation and the relative change present in the MERRA-2 data.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

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