Lincoln weather in December: Lincoln, Nebraska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Lincoln in December has a normal high of 39°F and a normal low of 18°F, a daily mean of 29°F, falling from 45°F on the 1st to 36°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 6 days in a normal December, 1.18 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 4°C and low of −8°C, 30 mm of precipitation and 13 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationLincoln Airport
- Station IDUSW00014939
- Location40.85°N 96.75°W
- Elevation1,190 ft (363 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population300,619
- Jan 36° 14°
- Feb 41° 18°
- Mar 54° 29°
- Apr 65° 39°
- May 75° 51°
- Jun 85° 62°
- Jul 89° 67°
- Aug 87° 64°
- Sep 80° 54°
- Oct 67° 41°
- Nov 52° 28°
- Dec 39° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Lincoln in December?
The normal high is 39°F and the normal low 18°F, for a daily mean of 28.8°F. December is 11.0°F cooler than November and 3.8°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Lincoln and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 9°F, from 45°F on December 1 to 36°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 25°F and 33°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 20%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 45°F | 22°F | 18% | 8% |
| December 8 | 42°F | 20°F | 19% | 9% |
| December 15 | 39°F | 18°F | 20% | 9% |
| December 22 | 37°F | 17°F | 20% | 9% |
| December 31 | 36°F | 15°F | 19% | 9% |
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 | 45°F | 22°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 2 | 44°F | 22°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 3 | 44°F | 22°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 4 | 43°F | 21°F | 18% | 8% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 5 | 43°F | 21°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 6 | 42°F | 21°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 7 | 42°F | 20°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 8 | 42°F | 20°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 9 | 41°F | 20°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 10 | 41°F | 19°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 11 | 41°F | 19°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 12 | 40°F | 19°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 13 | 40°F | 19°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 14 | 40°F | 18°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 15 | 39°F | 18°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 16 | 39°F | 18°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 17 | 39°F | 18°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 18 | 38°F | 18°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 19 | 38°F | 17°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 20 | 38°F | 17°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 21 | 38°F | 17°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 22 | 37°F | 17°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 23 | 37°F | 17°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 24 | 37°F | 16°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 25 | 37°F | 16°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 26 | 37°F | 16°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 27 | 36°F | 16°F | 20% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 28 | 36°F | 16°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 29 | 36°F | 16°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 30 | 36°F | 15°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 31 | 36°F | 15°F | 19% | 9% | 9 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 39°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 18°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.18 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 60.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 5.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 9 h 30 min to 9 h 20 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 72%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014939; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Lincoln in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 19% on average, highest around December 19 (20%). In all, 1.18 in falls on 6 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Lincoln, 29 nights fall to freezing, 10 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 5.3 inches.
Snow falls on 4 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 8 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014939.
How humid and windy is Lincoln in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 33°F with 57% relative humidity and a dew point of 19°F; at 6 a.m. it is 20°F with 81% humidity. The wind averages 9.2 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. | 20°F | 15°F | 81% | 7.8 mph | 57% |
| 9 a.m. | 21°F | 16°F | 79% | 8.2 mph | – |
| noon | 30°F | 19°F | 63% | 11.9 mph | 55% |
| 3 p.m. | 33°F | 19°F | 57% | 12.2 mph | 62% |
| 6 p.m. | 27°F | 18°F | 69% | 8.6 mph | 60% |
| 9 p.m. | 24°F | 17°F | 75% | 8.2 mph | 67% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014939. 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 Lincoln?
The warmest December temperature on Lincoln's official record (since 1887) is 75°F, on December 6, 1939; the coldest is −27°F, on December 22, 1983. The wettest December brought 4.42 in (2015); the snowiest, 24.3 inches (2009).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 28.8°F: 2021 36.0°F (+7.2), 2022 25.8°F (−3.0), 2023 35.2°F (+6.4), 2024 33.3°F (+4.5), 2025 31.5°F (+2.7). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36.0°F | +7.2°F | 0.25 in |
| 2022 | 25.8°F | −3.0°F | 0.64 in |
| 2023 | 35.2°F | +6.4°F | 1.70 in |
| 2024 | 33.3°F | +4.5°F | 1.58 in |
| 2025 | 31.5°F | +2.7°F | 0.25 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record LNKthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014939. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Lincoln compare across Nebraska?
Across the 137 places PlainClimate covers in Nebraska, December normal highs run from 34°F in Creighton to 44°F in Haigler; Lincoln's is 39°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.