Aberdeen weather in December: Aberdeen, South Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Aberdeen in December has a normal high of 29°F and a normal low of 8°F, a daily mean of 18°F, falling from 35°F on the 1st to 24°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal December, 0.61 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −2°C and low of −13°C, 15 mm of precipitation and 20 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationAberdeen Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014929
- Location45.46°N 98.41°W
- Elevation1,302 ft (397 m)
- Population27,919
- Jan 24° 2°
- Feb 29° 6°
- Mar 42° 19°
- Apr 58° 31°
- May 70° 44°
- Jun 80° 55°
- Jul 85° 60°
- Aug 83° 57°
- Sep 75° 47°
- Oct 59° 33°
- Nov 43° 19°
- Dec 29° 8°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Aberdeen in December?
The normal high is 29°F and the normal low 8°F, for a daily mean of 18.3°F. December is 12.6°F cooler than November and 5.5°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Aberdeen and the 11th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 11°F, from 35°F on December 1 to 24°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 6.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 12°F and 25°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 24%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 35°F | 13°F | 20% | 6% |
| December 8 | 32°F | 10°F | 21% | 6% |
| December 15 | 29°F | 8°F | 21% | 6% |
| December 22 | 26°F | 6°F | 23% | 6% |
| December 31 | 24°F | 4°F | 24% | 7% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 31)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 35°F | 13°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 2 | 34°F | 13°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 3 | 34°F | 12°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 4 | 33°F | 12°F | 20% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 5 | 33°F | 11°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 6 | 32°F | 11°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 32°F | 11°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 32°F | 10°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 31°F | 10°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 31°F | 10°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 30°F | 9°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 30°F | 9°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 29°F | 9°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 29°F | 8°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 29°F | 8°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 16 | 28°F | 8°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 17 | 28°F | 7°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 18 | 28°F | 7°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 19 | 27°F | 7°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 20 | 27°F | 7°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 21 | 27°F | 6°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 22 | 26°F | 6°F | 23% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 23 | 26°F | 6°F | 23% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 24 | 26°F | 5°F | 23% | 7% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 25 | 26°F | 5°F | 23% | 7% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 26 | 25°F | 5°F | 23% | 7% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 27 | 25°F | 5°F | 23% | 7% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 28 | 25°F | 4°F | 24% | 7% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 29 | 25°F | 4°F | 24% | 7% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 30 | 24°F | 4°F | 24% | 7% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 31 | 24°F | 4°F | 24% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 29°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 8°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.61 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 8.0 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 9 h to 8 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014929; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Aberdeen in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 22% on average, highest around December 31 (24%). In all, 0.61 in falls on 7 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Aberdeen, 31 nights fall to freezing, 19 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 8.0 inches.
Snow falls on 7 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 17 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014929.
How humid and windy is Aberdeen in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 20°F with 70% relative humidity and a dew point of 12°F; at 6 a.m. it is 11°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 10.3 mph, most often from the northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 11°F | 7°F | 82% | 9.7 mph | 45% |
| 9 a.m. | 11°F | 7°F | 81% | 9.7 mph | 52% |
| noon | 17°F | 11°F | 74% | 11.8 mph | 48% |
| 3 p.m. | 20°F | 12°F | 70% | 11.6 mph | 52% |
| 6 p.m. | 16°F | 10°F | 78% | 9.9 mph | 48% |
| 9 p.m. | 14°F | 9°F | 80% | 9.9 mph | 53% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014929. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for December in Aberdeen?
The warmest December temperature on Aberdeen's official record (since 1893) is 69°F, on December 6, 1939; the coldest is −39°F, on December 31, 1967. The wettest December brought 3.00 in (1909); the snowiest, 24.6 inches (2010).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 18.3°F: 2021 19.5°F (+1.2), 2022 11.2°F (−7.1), 2023 30.0°F (+11.7), 2024 22.8°F (+4.5), 2025 17.9°F (−0.4). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 19.5°F | +1.2°F | 0.78 in |
| 2022 | 11.2°F | −7.1°F | 1.45 in |
| 2023 | 30.0°F | +11.7°F | 2.18 in |
| 2024 | 22.8°F | +4.5°F | 0.20 in |
| 2025 | 17.9°F | −0.4°F | 0.54 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ABRthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014929. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Aberdeen compare across South Dakota?
Across the 100 places PlainClimate covers in South Dakota, December normal highs run from 25°F in Eureka to 41°F in Hill City; Aberdeen's is 29°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Aberdeen in November43°F by day, 19°F at night
- Aberdeen in January24°F by day, 2°F at night
- Aberdeen through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- South Dakota in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Hill City: South Dakota's warmest Decembernormal high 41°F