Cincinnati weather in December: Cincinnati, Ohio: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Cincinnati in December has a normal high of 43°F and a normal low of 28°F, a daily mean of 36°F, falling from 48°F on the 1st to 40°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal December, 3.73 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 6°C and low of −2°C, 95 mm of precipitation and 10 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
- Station IDUSW00093814
- Location39.04°N 84.67°W
- Elevation869 ft (265 m)
- From the center11 miles
- Population314,915
- Jan 40° 23°
- Feb 44° 26°
- Mar 54° 34°
- Apr 66° 44°
- May 75° 54°
- Jun 83° 62°
- Jul 86° 66°
- Aug 85° 65°
- Sep 79° 57°
- Oct 67° 46°
- Nov 54° 35°
- Dec 43° 28°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Cincinnati in December?
The normal high is 43°F and the normal low 28°F, for a daily mean of 35.6°F. December is 8.8°F cooler than November and 4.2°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Cincinnati and the 6th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 48°F on December 1 to 40°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 31°F and 40°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 42%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 48°F | 31°F | 38% | 22% |
| December 8 | 45°F | 29°F | 39% | 22% |
| December 15 | 43°F | 28°F | 40% | 22% |
| December 22 | 42°F | 27°F | 41% | 23% |
| December 31 | 40°F | 25°F | 42% | 22% |
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 | 48°F | 31°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 47°F | 31°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 47°F | 30°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 47°F | 30°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 46°F | 30°F | 39% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 46°F | 30°F | 39% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 46°F | 30°F | 39% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 45°F | 29°F | 39% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 45°F | 29°F | 39% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 45°F | 29°F | 39% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 44°F | 29°F | 40% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 44°F | 29°F | 40% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 44°F | 28°F | 40% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 44°F | 28°F | 40% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 43°F | 28°F | 40% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 43°F | 28°F | 40% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 43°F | 28°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 43°F | 28°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 42°F | 27°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 42°F | 27°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 42°F | 27°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 42°F | 27°F | 41% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 41°F | 27°F | 41% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 41°F | 26°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 41°F | 26°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 41°F | 26°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 41°F | 26°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 41°F | 26°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 40°F | 25°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 40°F | 25°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 40°F | 25°F | 42% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 43°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 28°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.73 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 4.1 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 21
- Daylight
- 9 h 40 min to 9 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 58%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093814; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Cincinnati in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 40% on average, highest around December 31 (42%). In all, 3.73 in falls on 12 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Cincinnati, 21 nights fall to freezing, 6 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 4.1 inches.
Snow falls on 5 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 4 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093814.
How humid and windy is Cincinnati in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 38°F with 65% relative humidity and a dew point of 27°F; at 6 a.m. it is 30°F with 81% humidity. The wind averages 9.0 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 30°F | 25°F | 81% | 8.3 mph | 27% |
| 9 a.m. | 30°F | 25°F | 81% | 8.4 mph | 23% |
| noon | 35°F | 27°F | 71% | 10.0 mph | 20% |
| 3 p.m. | 38°F | 27°F | 65% | 10.3 mph | 25% |
| 6 p.m. | 35°F | 27°F | 70% | 8.7 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 33°F | 26°F | 75% | 9.1 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093814. 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 Cincinnati?
The warmest December temperature on Cincinnati's official record (since 1872) is 75°F, on December 3, 1982; the coldest is −20°F, on December 22, 1989. The wettest December brought 7.90 in (1990); the snowiest, 16.6 inches (2010).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 35.6°F: 2021 44.5°F (+8.9), 2022 35.4°F (−0.2), 2023 41.4°F (+5.8), 2024 38.2°F (+2.6), 2025 34.6°F (−1.0). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44.5°F | +8.9°F | 3.45 in |
| 2022 | 35.4°F | −0.2°F | 2.69 in |
| 2023 | 41.4°F | +5.8°F | 1.97 in |
| 2024 | 38.2°F | +2.6°F | 4.73 in |
| 2025 | 34.6°F | −1.0°F | 2.53 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CVGthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093814. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Cincinnati compare across Ohio?
Across the 99 places PlainClimate covers in Ohio, December normal highs run from 36°F in Montpelier to 46°F in Portsmouth; Cincinnati's is 43°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.