South Bend weather in December: South Bend, Indiana: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
South Bend 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 15 days in a normal December, 2.40 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 2°C and low of −5°C, 61 mm of precipitation and 35 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationSouth Bend Airport
- Station IDUSW00014848
- Location41.71°N 86.32°W
- Elevation773 ft (236 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population103,713
- Jan 31° 17°
- Feb 35° 19°
- Mar 46° 27°
- Apr 59° 37°
- May 70° 48°
- Jun 79° 58°
- Jul 83° 62°
- Aug 81° 61°
- Sep 74° 53°
- Oct 62° 42°
- Nov 48° 32°
- 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 South Bend in December?
The normal high is 36°F and the normal low 23°F, for a daily mean of 29.6°F. December is 10.2°F cooler than November and 5.5°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in South Bend 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 4.8°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 52%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 41°F | 27°F | 45% | 21% |
| December 8 | 38°F | 25°F | 46% | 20% |
| December 15 | 36°F | 23°F | 48% | 20% |
| December 22 | 35°F | 22°F | 50% | 21% |
| December 31 | 33°F | 20°F | 52% | 22% |
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 | 45% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 41°F | 27°F | 45% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 40°F | 26°F | 45% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 40°F | 26°F | 45% | 21% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 5 | 39°F | 26°F | 46% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 6 | 39°F | 25°F | 46% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 7 | 39°F | 25°F | 46% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 8 | 38°F | 25°F | 46% | 20% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 9 | 38°F | 25°F | 46% | 20% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 38°F | 24°F | 47% | 20% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 38°F | 24°F | 47% | 20% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 37°F | 24°F | 47% | 20% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 37°F | 24°F | 47% | 20% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 37°F | 23°F | 48% | 20% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 36°F | 23°F | 48% | 20% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 16 | 36°F | 23°F | 48% | 20% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 17 | 36°F | 23°F | 48% | 20% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 18 | 36°F | 23°F | 49% | 20% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 19 | 35°F | 22°F | 49% | 21% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 20 | 35°F | 22°F | 49% | 21% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 21 | 35°F | 22°F | 49% | 21% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 22 | 35°F | 22°F | 50% | 21% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 23 | 34°F | 21°F | 50% | 21% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 24 | 34°F | 21°F | 50% | 21% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 25 | 34°F | 21°F | 50% | 21% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 26 | 34°F | 21°F | 51% | 21% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 27 | 33°F | 20°F | 51% | 21% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 28 | 33°F | 20°F | 51% | 21% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 29 | 33°F | 20°F | 51% | 22% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 30 | 33°F | 20°F | 52% | 22% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 33°F | 20°F | 52% | 22% | 9 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 36°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 23°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 2.40 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 150.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 13.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 25
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 56%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014848; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in South Bend in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 48% on average, highest around December 31 (52%). In all, 2.40 in falls on 15 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in South Bend, 25 nights fall to freezing, 10 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 13.7 inches.
Snow falls on 9 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 10 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014848.
How humid and windy is South Bend in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 31°F with 72% relative humidity and a dew point of 23°F; at 6 a.m. it is 26°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 10.3 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 26°F | 21°F | 82% | 9.5 mph | 29% |
| 9 a.m. | 25°F | 21°F | 83% | 9.6 mph | 29% |
| noon | 29°F | 23°F | 76% | 11.5 mph | 29% |
| 3 p.m. | 31°F | 23°F | 72% | 11.9 mph | 34% |
| 6 p.m. | 29°F | 23°F | 76% | 10.0 mph | 32% |
| 9 p.m. | 28°F | 22°F | 80% | 10.1 mph | 32% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014848. 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 South Bend?
The warmest December temperature on South Bend's official record (since 1893) is 70°F, on December 2, 1982; the coldest is −18°F, on December 28, 1924. The wettest December brought 8.25 in (1895); the snowiest, 44.6 inches (2000).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 29.6°F: 2021 37.1°F (+7.5), 2022 30.4°F (+0.8), 2023 39.3°F (+9.7), 2024 32.9°F (+3.3), 2025 26.8°F (−2.8). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 37.1°F | +7.5°F | 3.86 in |
| 2022 | 30.4°F | +0.8°F | 1.52 in |
| 2023 | 39.3°F | +9.7°F | 2.77 in |
| 2024 | 32.9°F | +3.3°F | 2.81 in |
| 2025 | 26.8°F | −2.8°F | 3.22 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record SBNthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014848. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in South Bend compare across Indiana?
Across the 99 places PlainClimate covers in Indiana, December normal highs run from 36°F in Angola to 47°F in English; South Bend's is 36°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.