Park Rapids weather in December: Park Rapids, Minnesota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Park Rapids in December has a normal high of 23°F and a normal low of 5°F, a daily mean of 14°F, falling from 29°F on the 1st to 19°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal December, 0.52 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −5°C and low of −15°C, 13 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationPark Rapids Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00094967
- Location46.90°N 95.07°W
- Elevation1,434 ft (437 m)
- Population4,381
- Jan 18° -3°
- Feb 24° 1°
- Mar 37° 16°
- Apr 53° 29°
- May 67° 42°
- Jun 76° 53°
- Jul 80° 57°
- Aug 79° 55°
- Sep 69° 46°
- Oct 54° 34°
- Nov 36° 19°
- Dec 23° 5°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Park Rapids in December?
The normal high is 23°F and the normal low 5°F, for a daily mean of 14.2°F. December is 13.7°F cooler than November and 6.6°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Park Rapids and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 10°F, from 29°F on December 1 to 19°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 6.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 8°F and 21°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 | 29°F | 12°F | 19% | 6% |
| December 8 | 26°F | 8°F | 20% | 6% |
| December 15 | 23°F | 6°F | 21% | 5% |
| December 22 | 21°F | 3°F | 22% | 5% |
| December 31 | 19°F | 0°F | 21% | 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 | 29°F | 12°F | 19% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 2 | 28°F | 11°F | 19% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 3 | 28°F | 11°F | 19% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 4 | 27°F | 10°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 5 | 27°F | 10°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 26°F | 9°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 7 | 26°F | 9°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 8 | 26°F | 8°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 25°F | 8°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 10 | 25°F | 8°F | 20% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 11 | 25°F | 7°F | 20% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 12 | 24°F | 7°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 13 | 24°F | 6°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 23°F | 6°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 23°F | 6°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 23°F | 5°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 22°F | 5°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 22°F | 4°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 22°F | 4°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 22°F | 4°F | 21% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 21°F | 3°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 21°F | 3°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 21°F | 3°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 21°F | 2°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 20°F | 2°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 20°F | 2°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 20°F | 1°F | 22% | 5% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 20°F | 1°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 19°F | 1°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 19°F | 1°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 19°F | 0°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 23°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 5°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.52 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 8 h 50 min to 8 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 59%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094967; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Park Rapids in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 21% on average, highest around December 22 (22%). In all, 0.52 in falls on 7 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Park Rapids, 31 nights fall to freezing and 24 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094967.
How humid and windy is Park Rapids in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 16°F with 71% relative humidity and a dew point of 9°F; at 6 a.m. it is 8°F with 86% humidity. The wind averages 8.3 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. | 8°F | 4°F | 86% | 7.8 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 7°F | 3°F | 84% | 7.6 mph | – |
| noon | 13°F | 7°F | 76% | 9.2 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 16°F | 9°F | 71% | 9.7 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 12°F | 7°F | 78% | 8.4 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 10°F | 6°F | 82% | 8.0 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094967. 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 Park Rapids?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 60°F, on December 6, 1939; the coldest is −46°F, on December 19, 1983. The wettest December brought 3.16 in (1933); the snowiest, 29.6 inches (1933).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 14.2°F: 2021 13.8°F (−0.4), 2022 10.3°F (−3.8), 2023 29.2°F (+15.0), 2024 18.5°F (+4.3), 2025 10.2°F (−4.0). 2 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13.8°F | −0.4°F | 1.42 in |
| 2022 | 10.3°F | −3.8°F | 0.85 in |
| 2023 | 29.2°F | +15.0°F | 1.83 in |
| 2024 | 18.5°F | +4.3°F | 0.26 in |
| 2025 | 10.2°F | −4.0°F | 0.40 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00094967; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094967. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Park Rapids compare across Minnesota?
Across the 129 places PlainClimate covers in Minnesota, December normal highs run from 19°F in Hallock to 32°F in Winona; Park Rapids's is 23°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Park Rapids in November36°F by day, 19°F at night
- Park Rapids in January18°F by day, −3°F at night
- Park Rapids through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Minnesota in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Winona: Minnesota's warmest Decembernormal high 32°F