ERA5 almanac comparison — 8 years of real data
Denver vs Scottsdale Desert Ridge: weather in December
Scottsdale Desert Ridge edges out Denver for sun in December: 18% clear historically versus 1% (8-year ERA5 average, a 17-point gap). Both are viable — Scottsdale Desert Ridge is the safer bet.
What you are reading: 8-year historical averages, not a forecast.
Either destination can still surprise you this specific December. For this
week’s actual forecast, each destination links to its live page below.
Denver
CO
- Clear days, December
- 1%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 47°F
- Early December (1st–15th)
- 0%
- Late December (16th–end)
- 1%
Scottsdale Desert Ridge
AZ
- Clear days, December
- 18%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 66°F
- Early December (1st–15th)
- 22%
- Late December (16th–end)
- 15%
- Rain frequency
- 12% of days
Compare Denver vs Scottsdale Desert Ridge in another month
All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.