Scottsbluff weather in December: Scottsbluff, Nebraska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December

Scottsbluff in December has a normal high of 42°F and a normal low of 14°F, a daily mean of 28°F, falling from 45°F on the 1st to 41°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 5 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 −10°C, 13 mm of precipitation and 20 cm of snow in December.

  • NOAA stationScottsbluff W B Heilig Field Airport
  • Station IDUSW00024028
  • Location41.87°N 103.59°W
  • Elevation3,945 ft (1,202 m)
  • Population14,323
  1. Jan 42° 15°
  2. Feb 45° 17°
  3. Mar 55° 25°
  4. Apr 62° 33°
  5. May 72° 44°
  6. Jun 84° 54°
  7. Jul 91° 60°
  8. Aug 89° 57°
  9. Sep 80° 47°
  10. Oct 65° 34°
  11. Nov 52° 23°
  12. Dec 42° 14°

Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.

How warm is Scottsbluff in December?

The normal high is 42°F and the normal low 14°F, for a daily mean of 28.0°F. December is 9.2°F cooler than November and 0.3°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in Scottsbluff and the 11th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 4°F, from 45°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 24°F and 32°F.

Scottsbluff in December, day by day: normal high and low

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 17%).

Normal high and low on five days of December, with the chance of precipitation
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 in
December 145°F17°F16%6%
December 843°F15°F16%6%
December 1541°F14°F17%6%
December 2240°F13°F17%5%
December 3141°F14°F17%5%
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 22)
Scottsbluff: NOAA 1991-2020 daily normals for each day of December
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 inDaylight
December 145°F17°F16%6%9 h 20 min
December 245°F17°F16%6%9 h 20 min
December 344°F17°F16%6%9 h 20 min
December 444°F16°F16%6%9 h 20 min
December 544°F16°F16%6%9 h 20 min
December 643°F16°F16%6%9 h 20 min
December 743°F16°F16%6%9 h 20 min
December 843°F15°F16%6%9 h 10 min
December 942°F15°F16%6%9 h 10 min
December 1042°F15°F16%6%9 h 10 min
December 1142°F15°F16%6%9 h 10 min
December 1242°F14°F16%6%9 h 10 min
December 1341°F14°F16%6%9 h 10 min
December 1441°F14°F17%6%9 h 10 min
December 1541°F14°F17%6%9 h 10 min
December 1641°F14°F17%6%9 h 10 min
December 1741°F14°F17%6%9 h 10 min
December 1841°F14°F17%6%9 h 10 min
December 1941°F14°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 2041°F13°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 2140°F13°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 2240°F13°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 2340°F13°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 2440°F13°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 2540°F13°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 2640°F13°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 2740°F13°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 2840°F13°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 2941°F14°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 3041°F14°F17%5%9 h 10 min
December 3141°F14°F17%5%9 h 10 min
Normal high
42°FDecember average
Normal low
14°FDecember average
Precipitation
0.52 inmonth total
Days with precipitation
50.01 inch or more
Snowfall
7.8 inmonth total
Nights at 32°F or colder
31
Daylight
9 h 20 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
Sunshine
75%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024028; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.

Does it rain or snow in Scottsbluff in December?

On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 17% on average, highest around December 20 (17%). In all, 0.52 in falls on 5 days of a normal December.

In a normal December in Scottsbluff, 31 nights fall to freezing, 8 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 7.8 inches.

Snow falls on 5 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 9 days.

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024028.

How humid and windy is Scottsbluff in December?

At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 36°F with 48% relative humidity and a dew point of 18°F; at 6 a.m. it is 19°F with 74% humidity. The wind averages 9.5 mph, most often from the northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.

A normal December day at the station, hour by hour (local standard time)
TimeTemperatureDew pointHumidityWindClear or few clouds
6 a.m.19°F12°F74%8.4 mph71%
9 a.m.23°F14°F69%9.2 mph68%
noon33°F17°F52%12.1 mph71%
3 p.m.36°F18°F48%12.1 mph70%
6 p.m.27°F16°F63%8.9 mph69%
9 p.m.23°F15°F69%8.5 mph71%

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024028. 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 Scottsbluff?

The warmest December temperature on Scottsbluff's official record (since 1893) is 77°F, on December 27, 1980; the coldest is −42°F, on December 22, 1989. The wettest December brought 2.22 in (1913); the snowiest, 25.3 inches (2014).

The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 28.0°F: 2021 34.6°F (+6.6), 2022 23.1°F (−4.9), 2023 35.6°F (+7.6), 2024 36.3°F (+8.3), 2025 37.2°F (+9.2). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.

Scottsbluff: December in recent years against the 1991-2020 normal
DecemberMeanAgainst normalPrecip.
202134.6°F+6.6°F0.28 in
202223.1°F−4.9°F0.65 in
202335.6°F+7.6°F0.11 in
202436.3°F+8.3°F0.00 in
202537.2°F+9.2°F0.19 in

Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BFFthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024028. Records and recent months use complete months only.

How does December in Scottsbluff compare across Nebraska?

Across the 137 places PlainClimate covers in Nebraska, December normal highs run from 34°F in Creighton to 44°F in Haigler; Scottsbluff's is 42°F.

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.

Other months and places