Fargo weather in December: Fargo, North Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Fargo in December has a normal high of 24°F and a normal low of 8°F, a daily mean of 16°F, falling from 30°F on the 1st to 19°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 0.89 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −4°C and low of −14°C, 23 mm of precipitation and 30 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationFargo Hector International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014914
- Location46.93°N 96.81°W
- Elevation900 ft (274 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population136,285
- Jan 18° 0°
- Feb 23° 4°
- Mar 36° 18°
- Apr 54° 32°
- May 69° 44°
- Jun 78° 56°
- Jul 82° 59°
- Aug 81° 57°
- Sep 72° 48°
- Oct 56° 35°
- Nov 38° 21°
- Dec 24° 8°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Fargo in December?
The normal high is 24°F and the normal low 8°F, for a daily mean of 15.7°F. December is 13.8°F cooler than November and 6.5°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Fargo and the 10th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 11°F, from 30°F on December 1 to 19°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 6.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 9°F and 22°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 33%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 30°F | 13°F | 27% | 8% |
| December 8 | 27°F | 10°F | 29% | 8% |
| December 15 | 24°F | 8°F | 31% | 8% |
| December 22 | 22°F | 5°F | 32% | 8% |
| December 31 | 19°F | 3°F | 32% | 8% |
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 | 30°F | 13°F | 27% | 8% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 2 | 30°F | 13°F | 27% | 8% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 3 | 29°F | 13°F | 28% | 8% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 4 | 29°F | 12°F | 28% | 8% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 5 | 28°F | 12°F | 28% | 8% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 28°F | 11°F | 28% | 8% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 7 | 27°F | 11°F | 29% | 8% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 8 | 27°F | 10°F | 29% | 8% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 26°F | 10°F | 29% | 8% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 10 | 26°F | 10°F | 29% | 8% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 11 | 26°F | 9°F | 30% | 8% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 12 | 25°F | 9°F | 30% | 8% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 13 | 25°F | 8°F | 30% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 24°F | 8°F | 31% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 24°F | 8°F | 31% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 24°F | 7°F | 31% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 23°F | 7°F | 31% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 23°F | 7°F | 31% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 23°F | 6°F | 32% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 22°F | 6°F | 32% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 22°F | 6°F | 32% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 22°F | 5°F | 32% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 21°F | 5°F | 32% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 21°F | 5°F | 32% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 21°F | 4°F | 32% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 20°F | 4°F | 32% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 20°F | 4°F | 32% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 20°F | 3°F | 33% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 20°F | 3°F | 33% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 20°F | 3°F | 33% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 19°F | 3°F | 32% | 8% | 8 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 24°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 8°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.89 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 11.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 8 h 50 min to 8 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 66%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014914; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Fargo in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 30% on average, highest around December 28 (33%). In all, 0.89 in falls on 10 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Fargo, 31 nights fall to freezing, 22 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 11.7 inches.
Snow falls on 10 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 22 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014914.
How humid and windy is Fargo in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 16°F with 73% relative humidity and a dew point of 9°F; at 6 a.m. it is 10°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 10.9 mph, most often from the west-northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 10°F | 5°F | 80% | 10.6 mph | 44% |
| 9 a.m. | 10°F | 5°F | 80% | 10.4 mph | 44% |
| noon | 14°F | 7°F | 75% | 12.4 mph | 47% |
| 3 p.m. | 16°F | 9°F | 73% | 11.9 mph | 46% |
| 6 p.m. | 13°F | 7°F | 78% | 10.2 mph | 46% |
| 9 p.m. | 12°F | 6°F | 79% | 10.5 mph | 44% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014914. 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 Fargo?
The warmest December temperature on Fargo's official record (since 1881) is 65°F, on December 6, 1939; the coldest is −36°F, on December 29, 1887. The wettest December brought 3.00 in (2023); the snowiest, 33.5 inches (2008).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 15.7°F: 2021 14.4°F (−1.3), 2022 8.9°F (−6.8), 2023 31.5°F (+15.8), 2024 19.4°F (+3.8), 2025 12.7°F (−3.0). 2 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14.4°F | −1.3°F | 1.85 in |
| 2022 | 8.9°F | −6.8°F | 1.94 in |
| 2023 | 31.5°F | +15.8°F | 3.00 in |
| 2024 | 19.4°F | +3.8°F | 0.63 in |
| 2025 | 12.7°F | −3.0°F | 0.80 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record FARthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014914. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Fargo compare across North Dakota?
Across the 92 places PlainClimate covers in North Dakota, December normal highs run from 18°F in Rolette to 32°F in Amidon; Fargo's is 24°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.