Columbia weather in December: Columbia, Missouri: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Columbia in December has a normal high of 44°F and a normal low of 27°F, a daily mean of 35°F, falling from 48°F on the 1st to 40°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 8 days in a normal December, 2.09 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 6°C and low of −3°C, 53 mm of precipitation and 9 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationColumbia Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00003945
- Location38.82°N 92.22°W
- Elevation893 ft (272 m)
- From the center11 miles
- Population130,900
- Jan 40° 23°
- Feb 45° 26°
- Mar 56° 36°
- Apr 67° 46°
- May 76° 56°
- Jun 85° 65°
- Jul 89° 69°
- Aug 88° 67°
- Sep 80° 58°
- Oct 68° 47°
- Nov 55° 36°
- Dec 44° 27°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Columbia in December?
The normal high is 44°F and the normal low 27°F, for a daily mean of 35.2°F. December is 10.1°F cooler than November and 4.2°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Columbia and the 12th 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 4.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 31°F and 39°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 27%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 48°F | 31°F | 27% | 16% |
| December 8 | 46°F | 29°F | 26% | 15% |
| December 15 | 44°F | 27°F | 26% | 15% |
| December 22 | 42°F | 25°F | 26% | 14% |
| December 31 | 40°F | 24°F | 26% | 14% |
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 | 27% | 16% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 48°F | 30°F | 27% | 15% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 48°F | 30°F | 27% | 15% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 47°F | 30°F | 27% | 15% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 47°F | 29°F | 27% | 15% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 46°F | 29°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 46°F | 29°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 46°F | 29°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 45°F | 28°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 45°F | 28°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 45°F | 28°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 45°F | 28°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 44°F | 27°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 44°F | 27°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 44°F | 27°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 43°F | 27°F | 26% | 15% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 43°F | 26°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 43°F | 26°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 43°F | 26°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 42°F | 26°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 42°F | 25°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 42°F | 25°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 42°F | 25°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 41°F | 25°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 41°F | 25°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 41°F | 24°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 41°F | 24°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 41°F | 24°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 40°F | 24°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 40°F | 24°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 40°F | 24°F | 26% | 14% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 44°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 27°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 2.09 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 80.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 3.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 24
- Daylight
- 9 h 40 min to 9 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 68%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00003945; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Columbia in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 26% on average, highest around December 1 (27%). In all, 2.09 in falls on 8 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Columbia, 24 nights fall to freezing, 6 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 3.4 inches.
Snow falls on 2 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 3 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00003945.
How humid and windy is Columbia in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 38°F with 59% relative humidity and a dew point of 25°F; at 6 a.m. it is 27°F with 81% humidity. The wind averages 10.2 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. | 27°F | 22°F | 81% | 9.6 mph | 50% |
| 9 a.m. | 29°F | 23°F | 79% | 10.3 mph | 48% |
| noon | 35°F | 24°F | 65% | 11.6 mph | 51% |
| 3 p.m. | 38°F | 25°F | 59% | 11.7 mph | 50% |
| 6 p.m. | 34°F | 24°F | 67% | 9.4 mph | 52% |
| 9 p.m. | 31°F | 23°F | 73% | 9.8 mph | 54% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00003945. 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 Columbia?
The warmest December temperature on Columbia's official record (since 1889) is 76°F, on December 8, 1991; the coldest is −23°F, on December 20, 1901. The wettest December brought 7.82 in (1895); the snowiest, 17.8 inches (1973).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 35.2°F: 2021 46.0°F (+10.8), 2022 34.5°F (−0.7), 2023 42.2°F (+7.0), 2024 37.5°F (+2.3), 2025 36.0°F (+0.8). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 46.0°F | +10.8°F | 2.04 in |
| 2022 | 34.5°F | −0.7°F | 1.18 in |
| 2023 | 42.2°F | +7.0°F | 2.90 in |
| 2024 | 37.5°F | +2.3°F | 2.43 in |
| 2025 | 36.0°F | +0.8°F | 0.86 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record COUthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00003945. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Columbia compare across Missouri?
Across the 134 places PlainClimate covers in Missouri, December normal highs run from 37°F in Tarkio to 49°F in Neosho; Columbia's is 44°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.