Kansas City weather in December: Kansas City, Missouri: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Kansas City in December has a normal high of 42°F and a normal low of 24°F, a daily mean of 33°F, falling from 47°F on the 1st to 39°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal December, 1.57 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 6°C and low of −5°C, 40 mm of precipitation and 10 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationKansas City International Airport
- Station IDUSW00003947
- Location39.30°N 94.73°W
- Elevation1,005 ft (306 m)
- From the center15 miles
- Population516,032
- Jan 38° 20°
- Feb 44° 24°
- Mar 55° 34°
- Apr 66° 44°
- May 75° 54°
- Jun 84° 64°
- Jul 88° 68°
- Aug 87° 66°
- Sep 79° 58°
- Oct 67° 46°
- Nov 54° 34°
- Dec 42° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Kansas City in December?
The normal high is 42°F and the normal low 24°F, for a daily mean of 33.1°F. December is 10.5°F cooler than November and 4.1°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Kansas City and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 47°F on December 1 to 39°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 29°F and 37°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 22%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 47°F | 28°F | 22% | 12% |
| December 8 | 44°F | 26°F | 22% | 11% |
| December 15 | 42°F | 24°F | 22% | 11% |
| December 22 | 41°F | 22°F | 22% | 10% |
| December 31 | 39°F | 21°F | 22% | 10% |
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 | 47°F | 28°F | 22% | 12% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 47°F | 28°F | 22% | 12% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 46°F | 27°F | 22% | 12% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 46°F | 27°F | 22% | 12% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 5 | 45°F | 27°F | 22% | 12% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 45°F | 26°F | 22% | 12% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 45°F | 26°F | 22% | 12% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 44°F | 26°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 44°F | 26°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 44°F | 25°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 43°F | 25°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 43°F | 25°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 43°F | 24°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 43°F | 24°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 42°F | 24°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 42°F | 24°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 42°F | 23°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 18 | 41°F | 23°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 19 | 41°F | 23°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 20 | 41°F | 23°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 21 | 41°F | 23°F | 22% | 11% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 22 | 41°F | 22°F | 22% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 23 | 40°F | 22°F | 22% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 24 | 40°F | 22°F | 22% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 25 | 40°F | 22°F | 22% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 26 | 40°F | 22°F | 22% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 27 | 40°F | 21°F | 22% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 28 | 39°F | 21°F | 22% | 10% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 29 | 39°F | 21°F | 22% | 10% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 39°F | 21°F | 22% | 10% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 39°F | 21°F | 22% | 10% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 42°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 24°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.57 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 4.0 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 25
- Daylight
- 9 h 40 min to 9 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00003947; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Kansas City in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 22% on average, highest around December 14 (22%). In all, 1.57 in falls on 7 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Kansas City, 25 nights fall to freezing, 7 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 4.0 inches.
Snow falls on 3 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 5 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00003947.
How humid and windy is Kansas City in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 36°F with 57% relative humidity and a dew point of 23°F; at 6 a.m. it is 25°F with 79% humidity. The wind averages 10.5 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 25°F | 20°F | 79% | 10.1 mph | 45% |
| 9 a.m. | 27°F | 21°F | 77% | 10.4 mph | 31% |
| noon | 33°F | 22°F | 63% | 11.9 mph | 31% |
| 3 p.m. | 36°F | 23°F | 57% | 12.0 mph | 28% |
| 6 p.m. | 32°F | 22°F | 66% | 9.6 mph | 36% |
| 9 p.m. | 30°F | 21°F | 71% | 10.1 mph | 41% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00003947. 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 Kansas City?
The warmest December temperature on Kansas City's official record (since 1888) is 74°F, on December 6, 1939; the coldest is −23°F, on December 23, 1989. The wettest December brought 5.42 in (1980); the snowiest, 16.6 inches (1961).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 33.1°F: 2021 43.1°F (+10.0), 2022 33.1°F (at normal), 2023 40.2°F (+7.1), 2024 35.7°F (+2.6), 2025 35.6°F (+2.5). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43.1°F | +10.0°F | 0.50 in |
| 2022 | 33.1°F | at normal | 1.18 in |
| 2023 | 40.2°F | +7.1°F | 3.04 in |
| 2024 | 35.7°F | +2.6°F | 0.75 in |
| 2025 | 35.6°F | +2.5°F | 0.69 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MCIthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00003947. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Kansas City compare across Missouri?
Across the 134 places PlainClimate covers in Missouri, December normal highs run from 37°F in Tarkio to 49°F in Neosho; Kansas City's is 42°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Kansas City in November54°F by day, 34°F at night
- Kansas City in January38°F by day, 20°F at night
- Kansas City through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Missouri in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Neosho: Missouri's warmest Decembernormal high 49°F