Dubuque weather in December: Dubuque, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Dubuque in December has a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 17°F, a daily mean of 25°F, falling from 37°F on the 1st to 28°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal December, 1.80 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 0°C and low of −8°C, 46 mm of precipitation and 26 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationDubuque Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00094908
- Location42.40°N 90.70°W
- Elevation1,056 ft (322 m)
- Population58,987
- Jan 27° 11°
- Feb 31° 15°
- Mar 44° 26°
- Apr 58° 37°
- May 69° 49°
- Jun 79° 59°
- Jul 82° 62°
- Aug 80° 60°
- Sep 73° 52°
- Oct 60° 40°
- Nov 45° 28°
- Dec 32° 17°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Dubuque in December?
The normal high is 32°F and the normal low 17°F, for a daily mean of 24.5°F. December is 11.9°F cooler than November and 5.7°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Dubuque and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 9°F, from 37°F on December 1 to 28°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 5.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 19°F and 30°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 29%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 37°F | 22°F | 29% | 15% |
| December 8 | 34°F | 20°F | 29% | 15% |
| December 15 | 32°F | 17°F | 29% | 14% |
| December 22 | 30°F | 15°F | 29% | 13% |
| December 31 | 28°F | 13°F | 29% | 12% |
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 | 37°F | 22°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 37°F | 22°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 36°F | 21°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 36°F | 21°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 5 | 36°F | 21°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 35°F | 20°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 35°F | 20°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 34°F | 20°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 34°F | 19°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 34°F | 19°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 33°F | 19°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 33°F | 18°F | 29% | 15% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 32°F | 18°F | 29% | 14% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 32°F | 18°F | 29% | 14% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 32°F | 17°F | 29% | 14% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 16 | 31°F | 17°F | 29% | 14% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 17 | 31°F | 17°F | 29% | 14% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 18 | 31°F | 16°F | 29% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 19 | 31°F | 16°F | 29% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 20 | 30°F | 16°F | 29% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 21 | 30°F | 16°F | 29% | 13% | 9 h |
| December 22 | 30°F | 15°F | 29% | 13% | 9 h |
| December 23 | 29°F | 15°F | 29% | 13% | 9 h |
| December 24 | 29°F | 15°F | 29% | 13% | 9 h |
| December 25 | 29°F | 15°F | 29% | 13% | 9 h |
| December 26 | 29°F | 14°F | 29% | 13% | 9 h |
| December 27 | 29°F | 14°F | 29% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 28 | 28°F | 14°F | 29% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 29 | 28°F | 14°F | 29% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 30 | 28°F | 13°F | 29% | 13% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 28°F | 13°F | 29% | 12% | 9 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 32°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 17°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.80 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 10.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 61%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094908; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Dubuque in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 29% on average, highest around December 29 (29%). In all, 1.80 in falls on 9 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Dubuque, 29 nights fall to freezing, 15 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 10.3 inches.
Snow falls on 6 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 13 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094908.
How humid and windy is Dubuque in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 26°F with 72% relative humidity and a dew point of 18°F; at 6 a.m. it is 19°F with 84% humidity. The wind averages 10.8 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. | 19°F | 15°F | 84% | 9.9 mph | 49% |
| 9 a.m. | 20°F | 15°F | 83% | 10.9 mph | 53% |
| noon | 24°F | 17°F | 75% | 12.0 mph | 42% |
| 3 p.m. | 26°F | 18°F | 72% | 11.9 mph | 50% |
| 6 p.m. | 23°F | 17°F | 79% | 10.6 mph | 47% |
| 9 p.m. | 21°F | 16°F | 80% | 10.6 mph | 56% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094908. 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 Dubuque?
The warmest December temperature on Dubuque's official record (since 1874) is 69°F, on December 15, 2021; the coldest is −25°F, on December 24, 1983. The wettest December brought 4.61 in (2007); the snowiest, 37.6 inches (2000).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 24.5°F: 2021 31.7°F (+7.2), 2022 23.1°F (−1.4), 2023 34.4°F (+9.9), 2024 27.7°F (+3.2), 2025 22.1°F (−2.4). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31.7°F | +7.2°F | 1.69 in |
| 2022 | 23.1°F | −1.4°F | 2.39 in |
| 2023 | 34.4°F | +9.9°F | 2.07 in |
| 2024 | 27.7°F | +3.2°F | 1.47 in |
| 2025 | 22.1°F | −2.4°F | 0.96 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record DBQthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094908. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Dubuque compare across Iowa?
Across the 132 places PlainClimate covers in Iowa, December normal highs run from 27°F in Northwood to 38°F in Keokuk; Dubuque's is 32°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.