Places › Lake Placid, NY › December

Lake Placid in December

A good month — score 71 of 100

Typical December days in Lake Placid reach about 28°F with nights near 14°F; about 23 inches of snow falls in a typical month.

What to pack for Lake Placid in December

• A real winter coat — typical nights drop below freezing, to about 14°F.
• A waterproof shell and shoes you can soak — rain falls on about 19 days in a typical December, so plan an indoor anchor each day.
• Insulated boots and a winter kit — a typical December brings about 23 inches of snow.
• Ski kit or rental reservations — this is prime season.

Every packing line is triggered by a number on this page — the rules are on How we pick.

December vs. the alternatives

The whole year in Lake Placid

Averages are the 1991–2020 climate normals (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information) for the station named on each page. Rain days = days with at least 0.01 in of precipitation. Daylight is computed for the middle of the month.