Alpena weather in December: Alpena, Michigan: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Alpena in December has a normal high of 34°F and a normal low of 20°F, a daily mean of 27°F, falling from 38°F on the 1st to 30°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 14 days in a normal December, 1.87 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 1°C and low of −7°C, 47 mm of precipitation and 43 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationAlpena County Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00094849
- Location45.07°N 83.56°W
- Elevation684 ft (209 m)
- Population10,116
- Jan 28° 12°
- Feb 30° 11°
- Mar 39° 19°
- Apr 52° 30°
- May 66° 41°
- Jun 76° 50°
- Jul 81° 56°
- Aug 79° 55°
- Sep 71° 47°
- Oct 58° 37°
- Nov 45° 29°
- Dec 34° 20°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Alpena in December?
The normal high is 34°F and the normal low 20°F, for a daily mean of 26.6°F. December is 10.0°F cooler than November and 6.6°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Alpena and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 38°F on December 1 to 30°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 22°F and 31°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 47%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 38°F | 24°F | 47% | 18% |
| December 8 | 36°F | 22°F | 47% | 16% |
| December 15 | 34°F | 20°F | 46% | 16% |
| December 22 | 32°F | 18°F | 46% | 15% |
| December 31 | 30°F | 15°F | 47% | 15% |
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 | 38°F | 24°F | 47% | 18% | 9 h |
| December 2 | 38°F | 24°F | 47% | 18% | 9 h |
| December 3 | 38°F | 24°F | 47% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 4 | 37°F | 23°F | 47% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 5 | 37°F | 23°F | 47% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 6 | 37°F | 23°F | 47% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 7 | 36°F | 22°F | 47% | 17% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 36°F | 22°F | 47% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 36°F | 22°F | 47% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 35°F | 21°F | 47% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 35°F | 21°F | 47% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 35°F | 21°F | 47% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 34°F | 21°F | 47% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 34°F | 20°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 34°F | 20°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 33°F | 20°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 33°F | 19°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 33°F | 19°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 33°F | 19°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 32°F | 18°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 32°F | 18°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 32°F | 18°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 32°F | 18°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 31°F | 17°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 31°F | 17°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 31°F | 17°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 31°F | 16°F | 47% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 30°F | 16°F | 47% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 30°F | 16°F | 47% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 30°F | 16°F | 47% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 30°F | 15°F | 47% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 34°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 20°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.87 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 140.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 16.9 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 28
- Daylight
- 9 h to 8 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 47%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094849; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Alpena in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 47% on average, highest around December 1 (47%). In all, 1.87 in falls on 14 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Alpena, 28 nights fall to freezing, 15 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 16.9 inches.
Snow falls on 12 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 19 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094849.
How humid and windy is Alpena in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 27°F with 70% relative humidity and a dew point of 18°F; at 6 a.m. it is 22°F with 83% humidity. The wind averages 8.0 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 22°F | 17°F | 83% | 7.1 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 22°F | 17°F | 83% | 7.3 mph | – |
| noon | 26°F | 19°F | 74% | 9.8 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 27°F | 18°F | 70% | 9.8 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 25°F | 18°F | 76% | 7.6 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 23°F | 18°F | 80% | 7.6 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094849. 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 Alpena?
The warmest December temperature on Alpena's official record (since 1916) is 65°F, on December 25, 1982; the coldest is −27°F, on December 29, 1933. The wettest December brought 5.07 in (1996); the snowiest, 48.8 inches (2000).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 26.6°F: 2021 29.9°F (+3.3), 2022 29.7°F (+3.1), 2023 34.5°F (+7.9), 2024 29.0°F (+2.4), 2025 23.0°F (−3.6). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29.9°F | +3.3°F | 2.48 in |
| 2022 | 29.7°F | +3.1°F | 1.52 in |
| 2023 | 34.5°F | +7.9°F | 1.69 in |
| 2024 | 29.0°F | +2.4°F | 2.45 in |
| 2025 | 23.0°F | −3.6°F | 1.58 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record APNthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094849. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Alpena compare across Michigan?
Across the 140 places PlainClimate covers in Michigan, December normal highs run from 26°F in Bergland to 39°F in South Haven; Alpena's is 34°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.