Sioux Falls weather in December: Sioux Falls, South Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Sioux Falls in December has a normal high of 32°F and a normal low of 13°F, a daily mean of 23°F, falling from 37°F on the 1st to 28°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal December, 0.83 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 0°C and low of −10°C, 21 mm of precipitation and 22 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationSioux Falls Foss Field
- Station IDUSW00014944
- Location43.59°N 96.73°W
- Elevation1,430 ft (436 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population209,289
- Jan 27° 9°
- Feb 32° 13°
- Mar 45° 24°
- Apr 59° 36°
- May 71° 48°
- Jun 81° 59°
- Jul 85° 63°
- Aug 83° 61°
- Sep 76° 52°
- Oct 61° 38°
- Nov 45° 25°
- Dec 32° 13°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Sioux Falls in December?
The normal high is 32°F and the normal low 13°F, for a daily mean of 22.5°F. December is 12.3°F cooler than November and 4.6°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Sioux Falls and the 10th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 9°F, from 37°F on December 1 to 28°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 5.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 17°F and 28°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 | 37°F | 18°F | 22% | 7% |
| December 8 | 34°F | 16°F | 22% | 7% |
| December 15 | 32°F | 13°F | 22% | 7% |
| December 22 | 29°F | 12°F | 22% | 7% |
| December 31 | 28°F | 10°F | 22% | 7% |
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 | 37°F | 18°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 37°F | 18°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 36°F | 17°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 36°F | 17°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 36°F | 17°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 35°F | 16°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 35°F | 16°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 8 | 34°F | 16°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 9 | 34°F | 15°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 10 | 33°F | 15°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 11 | 33°F | 15°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 12 | 33°F | 14°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 13 | 32°F | 14°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 14 | 32°F | 14°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 15 | 32°F | 13°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 16 | 31°F | 13°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 17 | 31°F | 13°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 18 | 31°F | 13°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 19 | 30°F | 12°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 20 | 30°F | 12°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 21 | 30°F | 12°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 22 | 29°F | 12°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 23 | 29°F | 11°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 24 | 29°F | 11°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 25 | 29°F | 11°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 26 | 28°F | 11°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 27 | 28°F | 11°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 28 | 28°F | 10°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 29 | 28°F | 10°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 30 | 28°F | 10°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 31 | 28°F | 10°F | 22% | 7% | 9 h |
- Normal high
- 32°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 13°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.83 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 8.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 9 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 71%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014944; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Sioux Falls in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 22% on average, highest around December 30 (22%). In all, 0.83 in falls on 7 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Sioux Falls, 30 nights fall to freezing, 16 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 8.7 inches.
Snow falls on 7 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 16 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014944.
How humid and windy is Sioux Falls in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 24°F with 69% relative humidity and a dew point of 15°F; at 6 a.m. it is 15°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 9.8 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. | 15°F | 10°F | 82% | 8.7 mph | 45% |
| 9 a.m. | 16°F | 11°F | 81% | 9.5 mph | 48% |
| noon | 21°F | 14°F | 72% | 11.6 mph | 43% |
| 3 p.m. | 24°F | 15°F | 69% | 11.9 mph | 51% |
| 6 p.m. | 20°F | 14°F | 77% | 9.4 mph | 45% |
| 9 p.m. | 18°F | 13°F | 80% | 9.1 mph | 56% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014944. 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 Sioux Falls?
The warmest December temperature on Sioux Falls's official record (since 1893) is 63°F, on December 3, 1998; the coldest is −31°F, on December 29, 1917. The wettest December brought 2.97 in (1945); the snowiest, 41.1 inches (1968).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 22.5°F: 2021 27.1°F (+4.6), 2022 17.1°F (−5.4), 2023 34.0°F (+11.5), 2024 25.8°F (+3.3), 2025 23.1°F (+0.6). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27.1°F | +4.6°F | 1.49 in |
| 2022 | 17.1°F | −5.4°F | 2.59 in |
| 2023 | 34.0°F | +11.5°F | 1.85 in |
| 2024 | 25.8°F | +3.3°F | 0.66 in |
| 2025 | 23.1°F | +0.6°F | 0.80 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record FSDthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014944. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Sioux Falls compare across South Dakota?
Across the 100 places PlainClimate covers in South Dakota, December normal highs run from 25°F in Eureka to 41°F in Hill City; Sioux Falls's is 32°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Sioux Falls in November45°F by day, 25°F at night
- Sioux Falls in January27°F by day, 9°F at night
- Sioux Falls through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- South Dakota in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Hill City: South Dakota's warmest Decembernormal high 41°F