Milwaukee weather in December: Milwaukee, Wisconsin: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Milwaukee in December has a normal high of 36°F and a normal low of 23°F, a daily mean of 30°F, falling from 41°F on the 1st to 33°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 1.88 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 2°C and low of −5°C, 48 mm of precipitation and 26 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationMilwaukee Mitchell Airport
- Station IDUSW00014839
- Location42.95°N 87.90°W
- Elevation670 ft (204 m)
- From the center8 miles
- Population563,531
- Jan 31° 17°
- Feb 34° 20°
- Mar 44° 29°
- Apr 55° 38°
- May 67° 48°
- Jun 77° 58°
- Jul 82° 65°
- Aug 80° 64°
- Sep 74° 56°
- Oct 61° 45°
- Nov 48° 33°
- Dec 36° 23°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Milwaukee in December?
The normal high is 36°F and the normal low 23°F, for a daily mean of 29.5°F. December is 10.9°F cooler than November and 5.5°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Milwaukee and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 41°F on December 1 to 33°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 25°F and 34°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 35%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 41°F | 27°F | 35% | 18% |
| December 8 | 38°F | 25°F | 34% | 17% |
| December 15 | 36°F | 23°F | 34% | 16% |
| December 22 | 34°F | 21°F | 34% | 15% |
| December 31 | 33°F | 19°F | 35% | 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 | 41°F | 27°F | 35% | 18% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 40°F | 27°F | 35% | 18% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 40°F | 27°F | 35% | 18% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 40°F | 26°F | 35% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 39°F | 26°F | 35% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 39°F | 26°F | 34% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 39°F | 25°F | 34% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 38°F | 25°F | 34% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 38°F | 25°F | 34% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 38°F | 25°F | 34% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 37°F | 24°F | 34% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 37°F | 24°F | 34% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 13 | 37°F | 24°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h |
| December 14 | 36°F | 23°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h |
| December 15 | 36°F | 23°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h |
| December 16 | 36°F | 23°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h |
| December 17 | 36°F | 23°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h |
| December 18 | 35°F | 22°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h |
| December 19 | 35°F | 22°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h |
| December 20 | 35°F | 22°F | 34% | 16% | 9 h |
| December 21 | 35°F | 22°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 22 | 34°F | 21°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 23 | 34°F | 21°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 24 | 34°F | 21°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 25 | 34°F | 21°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 26 | 34°F | 20°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 27 | 33°F | 20°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 28 | 33°F | 20°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 29 | 33°F | 20°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 30 | 33°F | 20°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 31 | 33°F | 19°F | 35% | 15% | 9 h |
- Normal high
- 36°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 23°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.88 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 10.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 25
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 54%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014839; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Milwaukee in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 34% on average, highest around December 1 (35%). In all, 1.88 in falls on 10 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Milwaukee, 25 nights fall to freezing, 12 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 10.4 inches.
Snow falls on 7 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 11 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014839.
How humid and windy is Milwaukee in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 29°F with 64% relative humidity and a dew point of 19°F; at 6 a.m. it is 24°F with 76% humidity. The wind averages 10.6 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. | 24°F | 17°F | 76% | 9.6 mph | 30% |
| 9 a.m. | 24°F | 18°F | 75% | 10.7 mph | 28% |
| noon | 28°F | 19°F | 67% | 12.2 mph | 23% |
| 3 p.m. | 29°F | 19°F | 64% | 11.8 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 27°F | 19°F | 70% | 10.3 mph | 25% |
| 9 p.m. | 26°F | 18°F | 73% | 10.2 mph | 36% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014839. 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 Milwaukee?
The warmest December temperature on Milwaukee's official record (since 1871) is 68°F, on December 5, 2001; the coldest is −22°F, on December 19, 1884. The wettest December brought 5.42 in (1987); the snowiest, 49.5 inches (2000).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 29.5°F: 2021 35.4°F (+5.9), 2022 29.9°F (+0.4), 2023 39.5°F (+10.0), 2024 32.9°F (+3.4), 2025 24.6°F (−4.9). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35.4°F | +5.9°F | 2.34 in |
| 2022 | 29.9°F | +0.4°F | 2.28 in |
| 2023 | 39.5°F | +10.0°F | 2.22 in |
| 2024 | 32.9°F | +3.4°F | 0.98 in |
| 2025 | 24.6°F | −4.9°F | 1.80 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MKEthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014839. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Milwaukee 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; Milwaukee's is 36°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.