East Lansing weather in December: East Lansing, Michigan: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
East Lansing in December has a normal high of 37°F and a normal low of 24°F, a daily mean of 30°F, falling from 42°F on the 1st to 34°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal December, 1.60 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 3°C and low of −5°C, 41 mm of precipitation and 19 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationEast Lansing (4 mi S)
- Station IDUSC00202395
- Location42.67°N 84.48°W
- Elevation880 ft (268 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population48,964
- Jan 32° 18°
- Feb 34° 19°
- Mar 45° 27°
- Apr 58° 37°
- May 70° 48°
- Jun 79° 58°
- Jul 83° 61°
- Aug 81° 60°
- Sep 76° 52°
- Oct 62° 42°
- Nov 48° 32°
- Dec 37° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is East Lansing in December?
The normal high is 37°F and the normal low 24°F, for a daily mean of 30.3°F. December is 9.9°F cooler than November and 5.6°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in East Lansing and the 11th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 42°F on December 1 to 34°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.7°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 26°F and 35°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 43%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 42°F | 27°F | 39% | 17% |
| December 8 | 39°F | 25°F | 40% | 17% |
| December 15 | 37°F | 24°F | 41% | 17% |
| December 22 | 35°F | 22°F | 42% | 17% |
| December 31 | 34°F | 20°F | 43% | 17% |
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 | 42°F | 27°F | 39% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 41°F | 27°F | 39% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 41°F | 27°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 41°F | 26°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 40°F | 26°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 40°F | 26°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 39°F | 26°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 39°F | 25°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 39°F | 25°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 39°F | 25°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 38°F | 25°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 38°F | 24°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 38°F | 24°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 37°F | 24°F | 40% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 15 | 37°F | 24°F | 41% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 16 | 37°F | 23°F | 41% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 17 | 37°F | 23°F | 41% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 18 | 36°F | 23°F | 41% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 19 | 36°F | 23°F | 41% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 20 | 36°F | 23°F | 41% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 21 | 36°F | 22°F | 42% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 22 | 35°F | 22°F | 42% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 23 | 35°F | 22°F | 42% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 24 | 35°F | 22°F | 42% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 25 | 35°F | 22°F | 42% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 26 | 35°F | 21°F | 42% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 27 | 34°F | 21°F | 42% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 28 | 34°F | 21°F | 43% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 29 | 34°F | 21°F | 43% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 30 | 34°F | 20°F | 43% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 31 | 34°F | 20°F | 43% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 37°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 24°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.60 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 7.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 52%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00202395; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in East Lansing in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 41% on average, highest around December 31 (43%). In all, 1.60 in falls on 13 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in East Lansing, 27 nights fall to freezing, 11 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 7.4 inches.
Snow falls on 8 days in a normal December.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00202395.
What are the records for December in East Lansing?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1957) is 67°F, on December 3, 1982; the coldest is −14°F, on December 31, 1963. The wettest December brought 4.43 in (1971); the snowiest, 21.2 inches (2008).
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00202395. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in East Lansing compare across Michigan?
Across the 140 places PlainClimate covers in Michigan, December normal highs run from 26°F in Bergland to 39°F in South Haven; East Lansing's is 37°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- East Lansing in November48°F by day, 32°F at night
- East Lansing in January32°F by day, 18°F at night
- East Lansing through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Michigan in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- South Haven: Michigan's warmest Decembernormal high 39°F