Big Sky weather in December: Big Sky, Montana: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Big Sky in December has a normal high of 28°F and a normal low of 9°F, a daily mean of 18°F, falling from 30°F on the 1st to 28°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 14 days in a normal December, 1.74 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −2°C and low of −13°C, 44 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationBig Sky (2 mi WNW)
- Station IDUSC00240775
- Location45.28°N 111.33°W
- Elevation6,590 ft (2,009 m)
- Population (census place)2,388
- Jan 30° 9°
- Feb 34° 9°
- Mar 42° 17°
- Apr 48° 23°
- May 58° 30°
- Jun 67° 36°
- Jul 78° 41°
- Aug 77° 39°
- Sep 68° 33°
- Oct 53° 25°
- Nov 37° 16°
- Dec 28° 9°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Big Sky in December?
The normal high is 28°F and the normal low 9°F, for a daily mean of 18.0°F. December is 8.2°F cooler than November and 1.2°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in Big Sky and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 2°F, from 30°F on December 1 to 28°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 15°F and 21°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 46%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 30°F | 11°F | 42% | 19% |
| December 8 | 28°F | 9°F | 43% | 19% |
| December 15 | 27°F | 8°F | 45% | 20% |
| December 22 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 20% |
| December 31 | 28°F | 8°F | 46% | 21% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 19)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 30°F | 11°F | 42% | 19% | 9 h |
| December 2 | 30°F | 11°F | 42% | 19% | 9 h |
| December 3 | 29°F | 10°F | 42% | 19% | 9 h |
| December 4 | 29°F | 10°F | 42% | 19% | 9 h |
| December 5 | 29°F | 10°F | 42% | 19% | 9 h |
| December 6 | 29°F | 10°F | 43% | 19% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 28°F | 9°F | 43% | 19% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 28°F | 9°F | 43% | 19% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 28°F | 9°F | 43% | 20% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 28°F | 9°F | 43% | 20% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 27°F | 9°F | 44% | 20% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 27°F | 8°F | 44% | 20% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 27°F | 8°F | 44% | 20% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 27°F | 8°F | 44% | 20% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 27°F | 8°F | 45% | 20% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 27°F | 8°F | 45% | 20% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 27°F | 8°F | 45% | 20% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 18 | 27°F | 8°F | 45% | 20% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 19 | 27°F | 8°F | 45% | 20% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 20 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 20% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 21 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 20% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 22 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 20% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 23 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 20% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 24 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 21% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 25 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 21% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 26 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 21% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 27 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 21% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 28 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 21% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 21% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 27°F | 8°F | 46% | 21% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 28°F | 8°F | 46% | 21% | 8 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 28°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 9°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.74 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 140.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 9 h to 8 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 63%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00240775; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Big Sky in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 44% on average, highest around December 27 (46%). In all, 1.74 in falls on 14 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Big Sky, 31 nights fall to freezing and 20 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00240775.
What are the records for December in Big Sky?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1967) is 53°F, on December 12, 2014; the coldest is −41°F, on December 24, 1983. The wettest December brought 4.83 in (1996); the snowiest, 77.0 inches (1996).
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00240775. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Big Sky compare across Montana?
Across the 141 places PlainClimate covers in Montana, December normal highs run from 22°F in Cooke City to 39°F in Geraldine; Big Sky's is 28°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.