Madison weather in December: Madison, Wisconsin: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Madison in December has a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 18°F, a daily mean of 25°F, falling from 37°F on the 1st to 29°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 1.63 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 0°C and low of −8°C, 41 mm of precipitation and 30 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationMadison Dane County Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014837
- Location43.14°N 89.35°W
- Elevation866 ft (264 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population285,300
- Jan 27° 12°
- Feb 31° 15°
- Mar 44° 25°
- Apr 57° 36°
- May 69° 47°
- Jun 79° 57°
- Jul 82° 62°
- Aug 80° 60°
- Sep 73° 51°
- Oct 60° 40°
- Nov 45° 29°
- Dec 32° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Madison in December?
The normal high is 32°F and the normal low 18°F, for a daily mean of 25.3°F. December is 11.4°F cooler than November and 5.9°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Madison 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 5.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 20°F and 31°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 | 37°F | 23°F | 33% | 17% |
| December 8 | 35°F | 20°F | 33% | 16% |
| December 15 | 32°F | 18°F | 33% | 15% |
| December 22 | 30°F | 16°F | 32% | 14% |
| December 31 | 29°F | 14°F | 33% | 14% |
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 | 33% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 37°F | 22°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 37°F | 22°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 36°F | 22°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 36°F | 21°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 35°F | 21°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 35°F | 21°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 35°F | 20°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 34°F | 20°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 34°F | 20°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h |
| December 11 | 34°F | 20°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h |
| December 12 | 33°F | 19°F | 33% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 13 | 33°F | 19°F | 33% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 14 | 33°F | 19°F | 33% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 15 | 32°F | 18°F | 33% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 16 | 32°F | 18°F | 33% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 17 | 32°F | 18°F | 33% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 18 | 31°F | 18°F | 32% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 19 | 31°F | 17°F | 32% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 20 | 31°F | 17°F | 33% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 21 | 31°F | 17°F | 32% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 22 | 30°F | 16°F | 32% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 23 | 30°F | 16°F | 32% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 24 | 30°F | 16°F | 32% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 25 | 30°F | 16°F | 32% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 26 | 29°F | 15°F | 32% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 27 | 29°F | 15°F | 32% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 28 | 29°F | 15°F | 32% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 29 | 29°F | 15°F | 32% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 30 | 29°F | 14°F | 32% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 31 | 29°F | 14°F | 33% | 14% | 9 h |
- Normal high
- 32°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 18°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.63 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 12.0 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 28
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 60%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014837; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Madison in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around December 1 (33%). In all, 1.63 in falls on 10 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Madison, 28 nights fall to freezing, 15 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 12.0 inches.
Snow falls on 8 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 16 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014837.
How humid and windy is Madison in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 27°F with 67% relative humidity and a dew point of 17°F; at 6 a.m. it is 20°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 7.9 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. | 20°F | 15°F | 80% | 7.1 mph | 36% |
| 9 a.m. | 21°F | 15°F | 79% | 8.2 mph | 41% |
| noon | 25°F | 17°F | 70% | 9.6 mph | 32% |
| 3 p.m. | 27°F | 17°F | 67% | 9.4 mph | 43% |
| 6 p.m. | 24°F | 17°F | 74% | 7.8 mph | 39% |
| 9 p.m. | 22°F | 16°F | 77% | 7.3 mph | 47% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014837. 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 Madison?
The warmest December temperature on Madison's official record (since 1869) is 68°F, on December 15, 2021; the coldest is −28°F, on December 24, 1872. The wettest December brought 5.68 in (1884); the snowiest, 40.4 inches (2008).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 25.3°F: 2021 30.7°F (+5.4), 2022 24.5°F (−0.8), 2023 34.8°F (+9.5), 2024 27.1°F (+1.8), 2025 21.3°F (−4.0). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30.7°F | +5.4°F | 1.69 in |
| 2022 | 24.5°F | −0.8°F | 2.34 in |
| 2023 | 34.8°F | +9.5°F | 1.66 in |
| 2024 | 27.1°F | +1.8°F | 1.21 in |
| 2025 | 21.3°F | −4.0°F | 1.28 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MSNthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014837. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Madison compare across Wisconsin?
Across the 165 places PlainClimate covers in Wisconsin, December normal highs run from 24°F in Drummond to 37°F in Kenosha; Madison's is 32°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.