Columbus weather in December: Columbus, Indiana: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Columbus in December has a normal high of 43°F and a normal low of 26°F, a daily mean of 35°F, falling from 48°F on the 1st to 40°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal December, 3.71 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 6°C and low of −3°C, 94 mm of precipitation and 10 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationColumbus
- Station IDUSC00121747
- Location39.17°N 85.92°W
- Elevation609 ft (186 m)
- Population51,970
- Jan 39° 22°
- Feb 43° 24°
- Mar 54° 32°
- Apr 66° 42°
- May 75° 53°
- Jun 83° 62°
- Jul 86° 65°
- Aug 85° 63°
- Sep 80° 55°
- Oct 68° 44°
- Nov 54° 34°
- Dec 43° 26°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Columbus in December?
The normal high is 43°F and the normal low 26°F, for a daily mean of 34.6°F. December is 9.5°F cooler than November and 4.6°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Columbus 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 4.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 30°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 35%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 48°F | 29°F | 34% | 22% |
| December 8 | 45°F | 28°F | 35% | 22% |
| December 15 | 43°F | 26°F | 35% | 22% |
| December 22 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 22% |
| December 31 | 40°F | 23°F | 35% | 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 | 29°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 47°F | 29°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 47°F | 29°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 46°F | 29°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 5 | 46°F | 28°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 46°F | 28°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 45°F | 28°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 45°F | 28°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 45°F | 28°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 44°F | 27°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 44°F | 27°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 44°F | 27°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 43°F | 27°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 43°F | 27°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 43°F | 26°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 43°F | 26°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 42°F | 26°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 42°F | 26°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 42°F | 26°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 20 | 42°F | 25°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 21 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 22 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 23 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 24 | 41°F | 25°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 25 | 41°F | 24°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 26 | 40°F | 24°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 40°F | 24°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 40°F | 24°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 40°F | 24°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 40°F | 24°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 40°F | 23°F | 35% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 43°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 26°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.71 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 4.0 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 23
- 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 USC00121747; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Columbus in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 35% on average, highest around December 14 (35%). In all, 3.71 in falls on 11 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Columbus, 23 nights fall to freezing, 6 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 4.0 inches.
Snow falls on 2 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 5 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00121747.
What are the records for December in Columbus?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 73°F, on December 3, 1982; the coldest is −20°F, on December 11, 1917. The wettest December brought 9.23 in (2012); the snowiest, 19.8 inches (2004).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 34.6°F: 2021 42.2°F (+7.6), 2022 33.6°F (−1.0), 2023 41.0°F (+6.4), 2024 37.0°F (+2.4). 3 of 4 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 42.2°F | +7.6°F | 4.63 in |
| 2022 | 33.6°F | −1.0°F | 2.45 in |
| 2023 | 41.0°F | +6.4°F | 1.61 in |
| 2024 | 37.0°F | +2.4°F | 5.67 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00121747; recent months: ACIS, station USC00121747. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Columbus compare across Indiana?
Across the 99 places PlainClimate covers in Indiana, December normal highs run from 36°F in Angola to 47°F in English; Columbus's is 43°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.