Manhattan weather in December: Manhattan, Kansas: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Manhattan in December has a normal high of 44°F and a normal low of 21°F, a daily mean of 32°F, falling from 48°F on the 1st to 41°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 4 days in a normal December, 1.06 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 7°C and low of −6°C, 27 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationManhattan Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00003936
- Location39.14°N 96.68°W
- Elevation1,057 ft (322 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population54,700
- Jan 41° 18°
- Feb 46° 22°
- Mar 58° 32°
- Apr 67° 42°
- May 77° 53°
- Jun 87° 63°
- Jul 92° 68°
- Aug 90° 65°
- Sep 82° 56°
- Oct 69° 43°
- Nov 55° 30°
- Dec 44° 21°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Manhattan in December?
The normal high is 44°F and the normal low 21°F, for a daily mean of 32.3°F. December is 10.6°F cooler than November and 2.9°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Manhattan and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 7°F, from 48°F on December 1 to 41°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 28°F and 36°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 15%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 48°F | 25°F | 15% | 8% |
| December 8 | 46°F | 22°F | 15% | 7% |
| December 15 | 44°F | 21°F | 14% | 7% |
| December 22 | 42°F | 19°F | 14% | 7% |
| December 31 | 41°F | 18°F | 14% | 6% |
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 | 48°F | 25°F | 15% | 8% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 48°F | 24°F | 15% | 8% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 48°F | 24°F | 15% | 8% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 47°F | 24°F | 15% | 7% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 47°F | 23°F | 15% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 47°F | 23°F | 15% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 46°F | 23°F | 15% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 46°F | 22°F | 15% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 46°F | 22°F | 15% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 45°F | 22°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 45°F | 22°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 45°F | 21°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 44°F | 21°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 44°F | 21°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 44°F | 21°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 43°F | 20°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 43°F | 20°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 43°F | 20°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 43°F | 20°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 43°F | 20°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 21 | 42°F | 19°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 22 | 42°F | 19°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 23 | 42°F | 19°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 24 | 42°F | 19°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 25 | 42°F | 19°F | 14% | 7% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 42°F | 19°F | 14% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 41°F | 18°F | 14% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 41°F | 18°F | 14% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 41°F | 18°F | 14% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 41°F | 18°F | 14% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 41°F | 18°F | 14% | 6% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 44°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 21°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.06 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 40.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 28
- Daylight
- 9 h 40 min to 9 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00003936; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Manhattan in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 14% on average, highest around December 1 (15%). In all, 1.06 in falls on 4 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Manhattan, 28 nights fall to freezing and 6 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00003936.
What are the records for December in Manhattan?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1960) is 77°F, on December 15, 2021; the coldest is −19°F, on December 10, 2009. The wettest December brought 3.61 in (2011); the snowiest, 7.9 inches (1961).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 32.3°F: 2021 41.1°F (+8.8), 2022 29.8°F (−2.5), 2023 38.6°F (+6.3), 2024 36.8°F (+4.5), 2025 36.2°F (+3.9). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 41.1°F | +8.8°F | 0.50 in |
| 2022 | 29.8°F | −2.5°F | 0.84 in |
| 2023 | 38.6°F | +6.3°F | 2.29 in |
| 2024 | 36.8°F | +4.5°F | 0.15 in |
| 2025 | 36.2°F | +3.9°F | 0.14 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00003936; recent months: ACIS, station USW00003936. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Manhattan compare across Kansas?
Across the 137 places PlainClimate covers in Kansas, December normal highs run from 39°F in Baileyville to 50°F in Coldwater; Manhattan's is 44°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.