Brainerd weather in December: Brainerd, Minnesota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Brainerd in December has a normal high of 26°F and a normal low of 8°F, a daily mean of 17°F, falling from 31°F on the 1st to 22°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 4 days in a normal December, 0.55 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −3°C and low of −14°C, 14 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationBrainerd Crow Wing County Airport
- Station IDUSW00094938
- Location46.40°N 94.13°W
- Elevation1,221 ft (372 m)
- Population14,400
- Jan 21° 0°
- Feb 27° 4°
- Mar 40° 18°
- Apr 55° 31°
- May 68° 43°
- Jun 77° 53°
- Jul 82° 58°
- Aug 79° 55°
- Sep 71° 47°
- Oct 56° 35°
- Nov 40° 22°
- Dec 26° 8°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Brainerd in December?
The normal high is 26°F and the normal low 8°F, for a daily mean of 16.8°F. December is 13.8°F cooler than November and 6.2°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Brainerd and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 9°F, from 31°F on December 1 to 22°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 6.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 11°F and 23°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 14%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 31°F | 14°F | 14% | 5% |
| December 8 | 28°F | 11°F | 13% | 4% |
| December 15 | 26°F | 8°F | 13% | 4% |
| December 22 | 24°F | 5°F | 13% | 4% |
| December 31 | 22°F | 2°F | 14% | 4% |
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 | 31°F | 14°F | 14% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 2 | 31°F | 13°F | 14% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 3 | 31°F | 13°F | 14% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 4 | 30°F | 13°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 5 | 30°F | 12°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 6 | 29°F | 12°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 29°F | 11°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 8 | 28°F | 11°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 28°F | 10°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 10 | 28°F | 10°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 11 | 27°F | 9°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 12 | 27°F | 9°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 13 | 27°F | 9°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 14 | 26°F | 8°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 15 | 26°F | 8°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 16 | 26°F | 7°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 17 | 25°F | 7°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 18 | 25°F | 7°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 19 | 25°F | 6°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 20 | 24°F | 6°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 21 | 24°F | 5°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 22 | 24°F | 5°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 23 | 24°F | 5°F | 13% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 24 | 24°F | 4°F | 14% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 25 | 23°F | 4°F | 14% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 26 | 23°F | 4°F | 14% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 27 | 23°F | 4°F | 14% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 28 | 23°F | 3°F | 14% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 29 | 23°F | 3°F | 14% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 30 | 22°F | 3°F | 14% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 31 | 22°F | 2°F | 14% | 4% | 8 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 26°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 8°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.55 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 40.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 8 h 50 min to 8 h 40 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 59%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094938; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Brainerd in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 13% on average, highest around December 1 (14%). In all, 0.55 in falls on 4 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Brainerd, 30 nights fall to freezing and 21 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094938.
How humid and windy is Brainerd in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 19°F with 67% relative humidity and a dew point of 10°F; at 6 a.m. it is 10°F with 81% humidity. The wind averages 7.0 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. | 10°F | 5°F | 81% | 6.2 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 10°F | 5°F | 80% | 6.7 mph | – |
| noon | 16°F | 9°F | 71% | 8.3 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 19°F | 10°F | 67% | 8.4 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 16°F | 9°F | 74% | 7.0 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 13°F | 7°F | 77% | 6.5 mph | 50% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094938. 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 Brainerd?
The warmest December temperature on Brainerd's official record (since 1898) is 61°F, on December 6, 1939; the coldest is −39°F, on December 31, 1946. The wettest December brought 4.05 in (2023); the snowiest, 29.1 inches (1968).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 16.8°F: 2021 18.6°F (+1.8), 2022 14.2°F (−2.6), 2023 30.2°F (+13.4), 2024 21.5°F (+4.7), 2025 12.8°F (−4.0). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18.6°F | +1.8°F | 2.34 in |
| 2022 | 14.2°F | −2.6°F | 2.04 in |
| 2023 | 30.2°F | +13.4°F | 4.05 in |
| 2024 | 21.5°F | +4.7°F | 0.58 in |
| 2025 | 12.8°F | −4.0°F | 0.00 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BRDthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094938. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Brainerd compare across Minnesota?
Across the 129 places PlainClimate covers in Minnesota, December normal highs run from 19°F in Hallock to 32°F in Winona; Brainerd's is 26°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.