The Cities Where Winter Never Really arrived in December

A warming atmosphere has been a hallmark of global climate change in recent decades. In June 2025, a dangerous heatwave swept across large swathes of the Midwest and Northeast, pushing temperatures into the triple digits for tens of millions of Americans. Last year’s summer heat also fueled drought conditions in the Western U.S. and created conditions that made wildfires – which burned over half a million acres in California alone – far more likely. 

But while the consequences of a warming planet are perhaps most immediate and hazardous in the summer months, for most of the United States, winter is the fastest warming season. A recent report from the independent research organization Climate Central analyzed historical temperature data in 244 U.S. cities. The study found that 98% of those places have warmer winters now than they did in 1970, by an average 3.9°F. 

The meteorological winter in the U.S. begins with the month of December, and local December 2025 temperature data shows that, in many American cities, the winter season has yet to arrive.

Using data from Climate Central, Climate Crisis 247 identified the 12 U.S. cities where winter disappeared in 2025. We reviewed historical temperature data for 194 U.S. cities, and ranked them on the difference between the average temperature in December 2025 and the 30-year average December temperature, based on readings from 1991 to 2020. Only the 12 cities in which December 2025 was more than 9°F warmer than the historical monthly average rank on this list. Supplemental data on local daily record-highs in the month of December are from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The 12 cities on this list are spread across eight states, largely concentrated in the West. In each of them, December 2025 ranks as the one of the four warmest Decembers in history – including five cities where last December ranks as the warmest on record. Just how unusual the high average temperatures in these places were last month is underscored by record-breaking daily heat. 

Each city on this list reported multiple days of record-high temperatures. For example, Rapid City, South Dakota, where the average temperature in December 2025 of 34.9°F was 9.3°F higher than the historical norm, reported seven days last month when temperatures were high enough to match or break daily record highs. On Christmas Day 2025, the mercury rose to 71°F in Rapid City – more than double the average local December temperature of 25.6°F, and well above the previous record-high of 60°F that had stood since December 25, 1963.

12. Lubbock, Texas

• Average temperature in December 2025: 50.8°F (2nd warmest December since records began in 1911)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 41.7°F (9.1°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 9
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 86°F on Dec. 25, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 25: 76°F on Dec. 25, 1955

11. Colorado Springs, Colorado

• Average temperature in December 2025: 41.0°F (2nd warmest December since records began in 1894)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 31.7°F (9.3°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 5
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 72°F on Dec. 22, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 22: 69°F on Dec. 22, 1955

10. Rapid City, South Dakota

• Average temperature in December 2025: 34.9°F (2nd warmest December since records began in 1942)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 25.6°F (9.3°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 7
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 71°F on Dec. 25, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 25: 60°F on Dec. 25, 1963

9. Boise, Idaho

• Average temperature in December 2025: 41.6°F (3rd warmest December since records began in 1875)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 32.1°F (9.5°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 8
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 63°F on Dec. 11, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 11: 63°F on Dec. 11, 2014

8. Missoula, Montana

• Average temperature in December 2025: 34.0°F (the warmest December since records began in 1893)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 24.4°F (9.6°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 6
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 57°F on Dec. 10, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 10: 50°F on Dec. 10, 1987

7. Grand Junction, Colorado

• Average temperature in December 2025: 38.3°F (2nd warmest December since records began in 1893)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 28.4°F (9.9°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 3
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 64°F on Dec. 24, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 24: 64°F on Dec. 24, 1955

6. Albuquerque, New Mexico

• Average temperature in December 2025: 47.1°F (the warmest December since records began in 1891)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 37.0°F (10.1°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 10
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 69°F on Dec. 22, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 22: 65°F on Dec. 22, 1969

5. Cheyenne, Wyoming

• Average temperature in December 2025: 39.0°F (the warmest December since records began in 1871)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 28.7°F (10.3°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 6
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 65°F on Dec. 22, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 22: 59°F on Dec. 22, 1954

4. Helena, Montana

• Average temperature in December 2025: 34.0°F (4th warmest December since records began in 1880)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 23.4°F (10.6°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 4
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 59°F on Dec. 11, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 11: 59°F on Dec. 11, 2004

3. Denver, Colorado

• Average temperature in December 2025: 42.3°F (2nd warmest December since records began in 1872)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 31.2°F (11.1°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 5
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 76°F on Dec. 22, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 22: 70°F on Dec. 22, 1955

2. Salt Lake City, Utah

• Average temperature in December 2025: 43.7°F (the warmest December since records began in 1874)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 32.2°F (11.5°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 7
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 67°F on Dec. 17, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 17: 55°F on Dec. 17, 2012

1. Casper, Wyoming

• Average temperature in December 2025: 36.9°F (the warmest December since records began in 1939)
• 30-year average December temperature in city: 24.8°F (12.1°F cooler than Dec. 2025)
• Daily record-highs reported in December 2025: 11
• Highest record-breaking temperature in December 2025: 63°F on Dec. 24, 2025
• Previous daily high on Dec. 24: 52°F on Dec. 24, 1955