Sault Ste. Marie weather in December: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Sault Ste. Marie in December has a normal high of 31°F and a normal low of 17°F, a daily mean of 24°F, falling from 35°F on the 1st to 26°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 19 days in a normal December, 2.80 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −1°C and low of −8°C, 71 mm of precipitation and 77 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationSault Ste Marie Sanderson Field
- Station IDUSW00014847
- Location46.48°N 84.36°W
- Elevation722 ft (220 m)
- Population13,288
- Jan 24° 8°
- Feb 26° 9°
- Mar 36° 18°
- Apr 49° 30°
- May 63° 41°
- Jun 73° 50°
- Jul 77° 55°
- Aug 76° 55°
- Sep 68° 49°
- Oct 54° 39°
- Nov 41° 28°
- Dec 31° 17°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Sault Ste. Marie in December?
The normal high is 31°F and the normal low 17°F, for a daily mean of 23.8°F. December is 11.0°F cooler than November and 7.6°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Sault Ste. Marie and the 7th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 9°F, from 35°F on December 1 to 26°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.8°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 19°F and 29°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 60%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 35°F | 23°F | 58% | 29% |
| December 8 | 33°F | 20°F | 59% | 28% |
| December 15 | 31°F | 17°F | 59% | 27% |
| December 22 | 29°F | 15°F | 59% | 26% |
| December 31 | 26°F | 12°F | 60% | 25% |
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 | 35°F | 23°F | 58% | 29% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 2 | 35°F | 22°F | 58% | 29% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 3 | 35°F | 22°F | 58% | 28% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 4 | 34°F | 22°F | 58% | 28% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 5 | 34°F | 21°F | 58% | 28% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 6 | 34°F | 21°F | 58% | 28% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 33°F | 21°F | 58% | 28% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 8 | 33°F | 20°F | 59% | 28% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 33°F | 20°F | 59% | 28% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 10 | 32°F | 19°F | 59% | 28% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 11 | 32°F | 19°F | 59% | 27% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 12 | 32°F | 19°F | 59% | 27% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 13 | 31°F | 18°F | 59% | 27% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 14 | 31°F | 18°F | 59% | 27% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 15 | 31°F | 17°F | 59% | 27% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 16 | 30°F | 17°F | 59% | 27% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 17 | 30°F | 17°F | 59% | 27% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 18 | 30°F | 16°F | 59% | 27% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 19 | 29°F | 16°F | 59% | 27% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 20 | 29°F | 16°F | 59% | 27% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 29°F | 15°F | 59% | 26% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 29°F | 15°F | 59% | 26% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 28°F | 14°F | 59% | 26% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 28°F | 14°F | 59% | 26% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 28°F | 14°F | 59% | 26% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 28°F | 13°F | 59% | 26% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 27 | 27°F | 13°F | 59% | 26% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 28 | 27°F | 13°F | 60% | 26% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 29 | 27°F | 12°F | 60% | 26% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 30 | 27°F | 12°F | 60% | 25% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 31 | 26°F | 12°F | 60% | 25% | 8 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 31°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 17°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 2.80 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 190.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 30.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 29
- Daylight
- 8 h 50 min to 8 h 40 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 49%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014847; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Sault Ste. Marie in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 59% on average, highest around December 30 (60%). In all, 2.80 in falls on 19 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Sault Ste. Marie, 29 nights fall to freezing, 18 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 30.4 inches.
Snow falls on 17 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 26 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014847.
How humid and windy is Sault Ste. Marie in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 23°F with 72% relative humidity and a dew point of 15°F; at 6 a.m. it is 17°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 7.8 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. | 17°F | 12°F | 80% | 7.2 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 16°F | 12°F | 81% | 6.8 mph | – |
| noon | 20°F | 13°F | 75% | 7.9 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 23°F | 15°F | 72% | 8.7 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 21°F | 15°F | 76% | 8.3 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 20°F | 14°F | 78% | 8.3 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014847. 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 Sault Ste. Marie?
The warmest December temperature on Sault Ste. Marie's official record (since 1888) is 62°F, on December 5, 2001; the coldest is −31°F, on December 26, 1993. The wettest December brought 6.24 in (1995); the snowiest, 98.7 inches (1995).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 23.8°F: 2021 27.9°F (+4.1), 2022 26.3°F (+2.5), 2023 32.2°F (+8.4), 2024 25.7°F (+1.9), 2025 19.9°F (−3.9). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27.9°F | +4.1°F | 4.51 in |
| 2022 | 26.3°F | +2.5°F | 4.41 in |
| 2023 | 32.2°F | +8.4°F | 1.89 in |
| 2024 | 25.7°F | +1.9°F | 3.90 in |
| 2025 | 19.9°F | −3.9°F | 5.19 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ANJthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014847. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Sault Ste. Marie compare across Michigan?
Across the 140 places PlainClimate covers in Michigan, December normal highs run from 26°F in Bergland to 39°F in South Haven; Sault Ste. Marie's is 31°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Sault Ste. Marie in November41°F by day, 28°F at night
- Sault Ste. Marie in January24°F by day, 8°F at night
- Sault Ste. Marie through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Michigan in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- South Haven: Michigan's warmest Decembernormal high 39°F