Houghton Lake weather in December: Houghton Lake, Michigan: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Houghton Lake in December has a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 19°F, a daily mean of 26°F, falling from 37°F on the 1st to 29°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 14 days in a normal December, 1.76 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 0°C and low of −7°C, 45 mm of precipitation and 38 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationHoughton Lake Roscommon County Airport
- Station IDUSW00094814
- Location44.36°N 84.67°W
- Elevation1,151 ft (351 m)
- Population (census place)5,761
- Jan 27° 11°
- Feb 30° 11°
- Mar 40° 19°
- Apr 54° 31°
- May 67° 42°
- Jun 77° 51°
- Jul 81° 55°
- Aug 78° 53°
- Sep 71° 46°
- Oct 57° 37°
- Nov 43° 28°
- Dec 32° 19°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Houghton Lake in December?
The normal high is 32°F and the normal low 19°F, for a daily mean of 25.6°F. December is 9.9°F cooler than November and 6.5°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Houghton Lake and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 37°F on December 1 to 29°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 21°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 45%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 37°F | 23°F | 45% | 18% |
| December 8 | 34°F | 21°F | 45% | 17% |
| December 15 | 32°F | 19°F | 44% | 16% |
| December 22 | 30°F | 17°F | 44% | 15% |
| December 31 | 29°F | 15°F | 44% | 15% |
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 | 23°F | 45% | 18% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 36°F | 23°F | 45% | 18% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 36°F | 23°F | 45% | 18% | 9 h |
| December 4 | 36°F | 22°F | 45% | 18% | 9 h |
| December 5 | 35°F | 22°F | 45% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 6 | 35°F | 22°F | 45% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 7 | 35°F | 22°F | 45% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 8 | 34°F | 21°F | 45% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 9 | 34°F | 21°F | 45% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 10 | 34°F | 21°F | 45% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 11 | 33°F | 20°F | 45% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 12 | 33°F | 20°F | 45% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 33°F | 20°F | 45% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 32°F | 20°F | 44% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 32°F | 19°F | 44% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 32°F | 19°F | 44% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 32°F | 19°F | 44% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 31°F | 18°F | 44% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 31°F | 18°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 31°F | 18°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 31°F | 18°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 30°F | 17°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 30°F | 17°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 30°F | 17°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 30°F | 16°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 30°F | 16°F | 43% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 29°F | 16°F | 43% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 29°F | 16°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 29°F | 15°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 29°F | 15°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 29°F | 15°F | 44% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 32°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 19°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.76 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 140.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 15.1 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 8 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 50%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094814; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Houghton Lake in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 44% on average, highest around December 1 (45%). In all, 1.76 in falls on 14 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Houghton Lake, 29 nights fall to freezing, 17 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 15.1 inches.
Snow falls on 11 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 19 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094814.
How humid and windy is Houghton Lake in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 26°F with 72% relative humidity and a dew point of 19°F; at 6 a.m. it is 21°F with 87% humidity. The wind averages 8.8 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. | 21°F | 18°F | 87% | 8.3 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 21°F | 17°F | 85% | 8.0 mph | – |
| noon | 25°F | 19°F | 77% | 10.1 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 26°F | 19°F | 72% | 10.4 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 24°F | 18°F | 78% | 9.0 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 23°F | 18°F | 82% | 8.6 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094814. 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 Houghton Lake?
The warmest December temperature on Houghton Lake's official record (since 1913) is 64°F, on December 5, 2001; the coldest is −28°F, on December 18, 1926. The wettest December brought 4.60 in (2008); the snowiest, 45.8 inches (2008).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 25.6°F: 2021 28.3°F (+2.7), 2022 27.1°F (+1.5), 2023 34.2°F (+8.6), 2024 26.6°F (+1.0), 2025 22.1°F (−3.6). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 28.3°F | +2.7°F | 2.52 in |
| 2022 | 27.1°F | +1.5°F | 1.36 in |
| 2023 | 34.2°F | +8.6°F | 1.25 in |
| 2024 | 26.6°F | +1.0°F | 2.56 in |
| 2025 | 22.1°F | −3.6°F | 2.32 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record HTLthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094814. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Houghton Lake 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; Houghton Lake's is 32°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Houghton Lake in November43°F by day, 28°F at night
- Houghton Lake in January27°F by day, 11°F at night
- Houghton Lake 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