Leavenworth glows like a snow globe, the Christmas ships slide across Puget Sound, and the first chairlifts start spinning. December is Washington at its most festive, equal parts twinkling lights and fresh powder, and it rewards anyone willing to bundle up and join in.
December flips Washington from quiet to festive almost overnight. The storm watching hush of November gives way to twinkling lights, and the whole state leans into the season. Leavenworth becomes the headline act, a Bavarian village wrapped in more than half a million lights, but it is far from the only show. Cities string up their displays, the Christmas ships sail their nightly parades across Puget Sound, and zoos and gardens glow after dark. If November was about leaning into the gray, December is about leaning into the light.
It is also when winter finally arrives in the mountains. The snowpack that started building on the passes in November reaches resort depth, and one by one the ski areas open: Crystal, Stevens Pass, the Summit at Snoqualmie, Mission Ridge, and Mount Baker spin up their lifts as soon as the snow allows. Whether you ski, ride, snowshoe, or just want to sled with the kids and drink cocoa afterward, December is opening weekend for the whole snow season. East of the Cascades the cold is dry and the powder light, while west of them it is wetter and warmer, but the high country still delivers.
The trick to a Washington December is to plan around the weather and the dark. Daylight bottoms out around the winter solstice, with the sun down before 4:30, so the lights do a lot of the heavy lifting. Mountain passes can close or require chains on short notice, Leavenworth weekends get busy, so book a room early, and the coast still gets its winter storms. Dress for cold and wet, keep an eye on the forecast, and December pays you back with the most festive, sparkling version of the state there is.
Leavenworth in December is the closest thing Washington has to walking into a snow globe. The Bavarian village wraps itself in more than half a million lights, Christmastown runs every day from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, and Front Street Park fills with food vendors, gazebo music and carolers strolling downtown in the evening. There is no single lighting ceremony anymore. The lights stay on until 11 PM, so come after dark for the glow, and come midweek if you can, when parking is easier. Book your room early, drive the pass with care, and give yourself a full weekend, because the whole Wenatchee Valley around it is worth the detour.
December is opening month for Washington’s ski areas. As the snowpack deepens, Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, the Summit at Snoqualmie, and Mount Baker fire up their lifts as soon as the snow allows, and the slopes fill with the season’s first powder hounds. You do not have to be a skier to play: the passes are laced with snowshoe and sledding terrain, the Nordic trails open at places like the Methow and Lake Wenatchee, and a day in the snow ends best with cocoa by a fire. Watch the pass reports and carry chains, because December storms can shut the highways down as fast as they fill the runs.
The west side does the holidays with water and lights. Argosy’s Christmas Ships sail Puget Sound and Lake Washington from the day after Thanksgiving to December 23, strung with lights and carrying carolers whose voices reach the bonfires on the beaches. In town the season piles up fast: the downtown Seattle tree lighting, Pike Place Market under lights, the Gingerbread Village, Seattle Center Winterfest, WildLanterns at Woodland Park Zoo, and Zoolights glowing at Point Defiance in Tacoma. For the full holiday rundown, see our guide to Christmas in Washington. It is wet and dark, which is exactly the point, because nothing beats ducking out of the rain into a warm market with a cup of something hot.
East of the Cascades the holidays come with real snow and dry cold air. Spokane lights up Riverfront Park and the historic downtown, Mission Ridge opens above Wenatchee with the light dry powder the east side is known for, and the Tri-Cities send a lighted boat parade up the Columbia and celebrate the season along the river. The cold is sharper here but the skies are often clear, which makes for crisp light displays and excellent snow play. Pair a holiday stroll downtown with a day on the slopes, and you have the Inland Northwest version of a Washington December.
The Bavarian village glows with more than half a million lights, with food vendors in Front Street Park, gazebo music, evening carolers and Santa through Christmas Eve. The lights stay on until 11 PM every night.
Learn More →A parade of lighted ships visits waterfront communities night after night with carolers aboard.
The zoo glows with more than a million and a half lights and animal shaped displays.
Learn More →Riverfront Park and downtown light up with the outdoor skate ribbon, displays, and holiday markets.
The ski resorts open in earnest, and the year shortest day turns the lights into the main event.
Fireworks at the Space Needle and celebrations from Seattle to Spokane ring in the new year.
Conditions
December hiking in Washington means snow up high and rain down low. The high country belongs to skis and snowshoes now, while the lowland, coastal, and east side trails stay walkable between weather systems. Days are short, so start early, carry a headlamp and traction, and check WTA and WSDOT before you head out.
Highway 20 usually closes for the winter in November or December; beyond the gates the high country is deep snow, the realm of backcountry skis and snowshoes.
Open for skiing and snowshoeing; trails are snow covered and the highways may require chains.
Hurricane Ridge Road usually opens Friday to Sunday in winter, weather permitting, with chains required and no lodge since the 2023 fire; lowland rainforest and coast trails stay open and green.
Paradise is a winter wonderland for snowshoeing when the road is open; check for gate closures and chain requirements.
Long Beach, Westport, and the southwest beaches stay open for winter walks and storm watching; mind the surf.
Cold and often snowy; valley trails and urban paths are walkable on clear days, the high country is for snow travel.
My pick for December is the easy one, because nothing in the state does the season like Leavenworth, and it sits right in my backyard, a short drive up the valley from Wenatchee. After dark the whole village turns into a snow globe: more than half a million lights on the Bavarian rooftops, carolers on the corners in the evening, food vendors in Front Street Park and, with any luck, snow coming down through it all. My advice is simple. Go midweek if you can, because weekends are packed and downtown parking is paid every day in December. Stay until the lights are at their best after dark, then plan a second morning, when the village is quiet and the cafes are just opening. Book early and drive the pass with care.
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December is peak season for the holidays and opening weekend for the snow, so book ahead. Here is where we would point you by region.
Stay right in or near the Bavarian village to catch the lights at their best, with the festival a walk from your door and the snowy Wenatchee Valley all around. December weekends sell out months ahead, so book early.
Explore StaysBase near the passes for opening weekend: the Summit at Snoqualmie, Crystal, and Stevens are all within reach, with snowshoe and sledding terrain for the non skiers and cocoa by the fire after.
Explore StaysMake Spokane your Inland Northwest holiday base, with Riverfront Park lit up downtown, Mission Ridge powder a drive away, and the dry cold that makes the lights sparkle.
Explore StaysYes, if you love the holidays and snow. December brings Leavenworth’s Bavarian Christmas, holiday lights and Christmas ships across Puget Sound, and the opening of ski season in the mountains. Just plan around short days, book holiday destinations early, and watch the mountain weather.
Wet and mild on the west side (upper 30s to upper 40s with rain), and cold and snowy on the east side and in the mountains (20s to low 40s with dry powder). Daylight is at its shortest around the solstice, with the sun down before 4:30.
Leavenworth’s Christmastown runs every day from the day after Thanksgiving through December 24 (November 27 to December 24 in 2026). There is no single lighting ceremony anymore: the lights stay on from 6 AM to 11 PM daily through February. Weekends are the busiest, downtown parking is paid every day in December, and the pass can be snowy, so book early and plan for winter driving.
Most Washington ski areas open in December as the snowpack deepens, including Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, the Summit at Snoqualmie, Mission Ridge, and Mount Baker. Exact opening dates depend on snowfall, so check each resort before you go.
Leavenworth’s Village of Lights, the Argosy Christmas Ships on Puget Sound, Zoolights at Point Defiance in Tacoma, WildLanterns at Woodland Park Zoo, and downtown displays in Spokane and the Tri-Cities. Our guide to Christmas in Washington has the full rundown.
Usually not. Highway 20 over the North Cascades closes for the winter, often from November or December until spring. Cross the mountains on I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass or US 2 over Stevens Pass instead, and carry chains.
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