Ellensburg weather in December: Ellensburg, Washington: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Ellensburg in December has a normal high of 36°F and a normal low of 24°F, a daily mean of 30°F, falling from 40°F on the 1st to 35°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal December, 1.54 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 2°C and low of −5°C, 39 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationEllensburg Bowers Field
- Station IDUSW00024220
- Location47.03°N 120.53°W
- Elevation1,766 ft (538 m)
- Population20,996
- Jan 37° 24°
- Feb 44° 27°
- Mar 53° 31°
- Apr 61° 37°
- May 71° 45°
- Jun 77° 51°
- Jul 86° 57°
- Aug 87° 56°
- Sep 78° 47°
- Oct 62° 37°
- Nov 47° 29°
- Dec 36° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Ellensburg in December?
The normal high is 36°F and the normal low 24°F, for a daily mean of 30.1°F. December is 7.5°F cooler than November and 0.3°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in Ellensburg and the wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 5°F, from 40°F on December 1 to 35°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.8°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 26°F and 34°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 40%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 40°F | 26°F | 37% | 12% |
| December 8 | 38°F | 25°F | 38% | 13% |
| December 15 | 36°F | 24°F | 39% | 13% |
| December 22 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% |
| December 31 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 23)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 40°F | 26°F | 37% | 12% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 2 | 40°F | 25°F | 37% | 12% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 3 | 39°F | 25°F | 37% | 12% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 4 | 39°F | 25°F | 37% | 13% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 39°F | 25°F | 37% | 13% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 38°F | 25°F | 38% | 13% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 7 | 38°F | 25°F | 38% | 13% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 8 | 38°F | 25°F | 38% | 13% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 37°F | 24°F | 38% | 13% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 10 | 37°F | 24°F | 39% | 13% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 11 | 37°F | 24°F | 39% | 13% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 12 | 37°F | 24°F | 39% | 13% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 37°F | 24°F | 39% | 13% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 36°F | 24°F | 39% | 13% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 36°F | 24°F | 39% | 13% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 36°F | 24°F | 40% | 13% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 36°F | 23°F | 40% | 13% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 36°F | 23°F | 40% | 13% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 13% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 13% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 35°F | 23°F | 40% | 14% | 8 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 36°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 24°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.54 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 8 h 50 min to 8 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 54%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024220; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Ellensburg in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 39% on average, highest around December 19 (40%). In all, 1.54 in falls on 12 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Ellensburg, 27 nights fall to freezing and 9 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024220.
What are the records for December in Ellensburg?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1940) is 66°F, on December 1, 2021; the coldest is −16°F, on December 27, 1948. The wettest December brought 3.45 in (2015); the snowiest, 30.5 inches (1948).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 30.1°F: 2021 29.6°F (−0.5), 2022 20.9°F (−9.2), 2023 35.6°F (+5.5), 2024 33.3°F (+3.2), 2025 35.7°F (+5.6). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29.6°F | −0.5°F | 0.57 in |
| 2022 | 20.9°F | −9.2°F | 1.73 in |
| 2023 | 35.6°F | +5.5°F | 1.46 in |
| 2024 | 33.3°F | +3.2°F | 2.33 in |
| 2025 | 35.7°F | +5.6°F | 2.17 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00024220; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024220. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Ellensburg compare across Washington?
Across the 96 places PlainClimate covers in Washington, December normal highs run from 29°F in Winthrop to 48°F in Grayland; Ellensburg's is 36°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Ellensburg in November47°F by day, 29°F at night
- Ellensburg in January37°F by day, 24°F at night
- Ellensburg through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Washington in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Grayland: Washington's warmest Decembernormal high 48°F