Ames weather in December: Ames, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Ames in December has a normal high of 34°F and a normal low of 17°F, a daily mean of 25°F, falling from 40°F on the 1st to 30°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 6 days in a normal December, 1.05 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 1°C and low of −9°C, 27 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationAmes Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00094989
- Location41.99°N 93.62°W
- Elevation930 ft (284 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population69,026
- Jan 29° 11°
- Feb 33° 15°
- Mar 47° 27°
- Apr 61° 38°
- May 72° 50°
- Jun 81° 60°
- Jul 84° 63°
- Aug 82° 60°
- Sep 76° 51°
- Oct 63° 39°
- Nov 47° 27°
- Dec 34° 17°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Ames in December?
The normal high is 34°F and the normal low 17°F, for a daily mean of 25.2°F. December is 11.7°F cooler than November and 5.4°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Ames and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 10°F, from 40°F on December 1 to 30°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 5.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 20°F and 30°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 20%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 40°F | 21°F | 20% | 11% |
| December 8 | 37°F | 19°F | 20% | 10% |
| December 15 | 34°F | 17°F | 19% | 9% |
| December 22 | 32°F | 15°F | 18% | 8% |
| December 31 | 30°F | 13°F | 18% | 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 | 40°F | 21°F | 20% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 39°F | 21°F | 20% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 39°F | 20°F | 20% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 38°F | 20°F | 20% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 5 | 38°F | 20°F | 20% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 6 | 37°F | 19°F | 20% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 7 | 37°F | 19°F | 20% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 8 | 37°F | 19°F | 20% | 10% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 36°F | 18°F | 20% | 10% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 36°F | 18°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 35°F | 18°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 35°F | 18°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 35°F | 17°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 34°F | 17°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 34°F | 17°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 16 | 34°F | 16°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 17 | 33°F | 16°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 18 | 33°F | 16°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 19 | 33°F | 16°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 20 | 32°F | 15°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 21 | 32°F | 15°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 22 | 32°F | 15°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 23 | 31°F | 14°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 24 | 31°F | 14°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 25 | 31°F | 14°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 26 | 31°F | 14°F | 18% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 27 | 30°F | 13°F | 18% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 28 | 30°F | 13°F | 18% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 29 | 30°F | 13°F | 18% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 30 | 30°F | 13°F | 18% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 30°F | 13°F | 18% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 34°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 17°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.05 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 60.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 68%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094989; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Ames in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 19% on average, highest around December 1 (20%). In all, 1.05 in falls on 6 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Ames, 29 nights fall to freezing and 13 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094989.
What are the records for December in Ames?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1996) is 74°F, on December 15, 2021; the coldest is −20°F, on December 24, 2013. The wettest December brought 4.96 in (2015).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 25.2°F: 2021 32.4°F (+7.2), 2022 22.8°F (−2.4), 2023 35.6°F (+10.4), 2024 29.8°F (+4.6), 2025 23.9°F (−1.3). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 32.4°F | +7.2°F | 0.92 in |
| 2022 | 22.8°F | −2.4°F | – |
| 2023 | 35.6°F | +10.4°F | 1.56 in |
| 2024 | 29.8°F | +4.6°F | 1.22 in |
| 2025 | 23.9°F | −1.3°F | 0.77 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00094989; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094989. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Ames compare across Iowa?
Across the 132 places PlainClimate covers in Iowa, December normal highs run from 27°F in Northwood to 38°F in Keokuk; Ames's is 34°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.