Brookings weather in December: Brookings, South Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Brookings in December has a normal high of 28°F and a normal low of 10°F, a daily mean of 19°F, falling from 33°F on the 1st to 23°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 6 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 −12°C, 15 mm of precipitation and 17 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationBrookings (2 mi NE)
- Station IDUSC00391076
- Location44.33°N 96.77°W
- Elevation1,639 ft (500 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population24,555
- Jan 22° 4°
- Feb 27° 7°
- Mar 39° 20°
- Apr 54° 32°
- May 67° 45°
- Jun 77° 56°
- Jul 81° 60°
- Aug 79° 57°
- Sep 72° 48°
- Oct 58° 34°
- Nov 41° 22°
- Dec 28° 10°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Brookings in December?
The normal high is 28°F and the normal low 10°F, for a daily mean of 18.6°F. December is 12.6°F cooler than November and 5.8°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Brookings and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 10°F, from 33°F on December 1 to 23°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 5.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 13°F and 24°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 | 33°F | 15°F | 17% | 6% |
| December 8 | 30°F | 12°F | 18% | 6% |
| December 15 | 28°F | 10°F | 19% | 5% |
| December 22 | 25°F | 8°F | 19% | 5% |
| December 31 | 23°F | 5°F | 20% | 5% |
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 | 33°F | 15°F | 17% | 6% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 33°F | 15°F | 17% | 6% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 32°F | 14°F | 17% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 4 | 32°F | 14°F | 18% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 5 | 32°F | 14°F | 18% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 6 | 31°F | 13°F | 18% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 7 | 31°F | 13°F | 18% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 8 | 30°F | 12°F | 18% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 9 | 30°F | 12°F | 18% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 10 | 29°F | 12°F | 18% | 6% | 9 h |
| December 11 | 29°F | 11°F | 18% | 5% | 9 h |
| December 12 | 29°F | 11°F | 18% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 28°F | 11°F | 18% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 28°F | 10°F | 19% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 28°F | 10°F | 19% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 27°F | 9°F | 19% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 27°F | 9°F | 19% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 26°F | 9°F | 19% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 26°F | 8°F | 19% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 26°F | 8°F | 19% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 26°F | 8°F | 19% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 25°F | 8°F | 19% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 25°F | 7°F | 19% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 25°F | 7°F | 20% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 24°F | 7°F | 20% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 24°F | 6°F | 20% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 24°F | 6°F | 20% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 24°F | 6°F | 20% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 24°F | 6°F | 20% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 23°F | 6°F | 20% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 23°F | 5°F | 20% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 28°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 10°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.61 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 60.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 6.8 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 8 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 67%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00391076; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Brookings in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 19% on average, highest around December 30 (20%). In all, 0.61 in falls on 6 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Brookings, 31 nights fall to freezing, 20 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 6.8 inches.
Snow falls on 6 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 USC00391076.
What are the records for December in Brookings?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 68°F, on December 6, 1939; the coldest is −36°F, on December 29, 1917. The wettest December brought 2.52 in (1902); the snowiest, 22.0 inches (1968).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 18.6°F: 2021 22.6°F (+4.0), 2022 16.4°F (−2.3), 2023 29.8°F (+11.2), 2024 21.7°F (+3.1), 2025 19.4°F (+0.8). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22.6°F | +4.0°F | 1.20 in |
| 2022 | 16.4°F | −2.3°F | 1.31 in |
| 2023 | 29.8°F | +11.2°F | 1.78 in |
| 2024 | 21.7°F | +3.1°F | 0.31 in |
| 2025 | 19.4°F | +0.8°F | 0.46 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00391076; recent months: ACIS, station USC00391076. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Brookings 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; Brookings's is 28°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Brookings in November41°F by day, 22°F at night
- Brookings in January22°F by day, 4°F at night
- Brookings 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