Springfield weather in December: Springfield, Illinois: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Springfield in December has a normal high of 41°F and a normal low of 25°F, a daily mean of 33°F, falling from 46°F on the 1st to 37°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal December, 2.15 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 5°C and low of −4°C, 55 mm of precipitation and 11 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationSpringfield Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport
- Station IDUSW00093822
- Location39.84°N 89.68°W
- Elevation594 ft (181 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population112,949
- Jan 36° 20°
- Feb 41° 24°
- Mar 53° 33°
- Apr 66° 43°
- May 76° 54°
- Jun 84° 63°
- Jul 87° 66°
- Aug 85° 64°
- Sep 80° 56°
- Oct 67° 45°
- Nov 53° 34°
- Dec 41° 25°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Springfield in December?
The normal high is 41°F and the normal low 25°F, for a daily mean of 32.9°F. December is 10.6°F cooler than November and 5.0°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Springfield and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 9°F, from 46°F on December 1 to 37°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 28°F and 37°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 30%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 46°F | 29°F | 30% | 17% |
| December 8 | 43°F | 27°F | 30% | 17% |
| December 15 | 41°F | 25°F | 30% | 16% |
| December 22 | 39°F | 24°F | 30% | 16% |
| December 31 | 37°F | 22°F | 30% | 15% |
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 | 46°F | 29°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 2 | 45°F | 29°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 3 | 45°F | 29°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 4 | 45°F | 28°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 5 | 44°F | 28°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 44°F | 28°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 44°F | 27°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 8 | 43°F | 27°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 9 | 43°F | 27°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 42°F | 27°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 42°F | 26°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 12 | 42°F | 26°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 13 | 41°F | 26°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 14 | 41°F | 26°F | 30% | 17% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 15 | 41°F | 25°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 16 | 40°F | 25°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 17 | 40°F | 25°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 18 | 40°F | 25°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 19 | 40°F | 24°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 20 | 39°F | 24°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 21 | 39°F | 24°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 22 | 39°F | 24°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 23 | 38°F | 24°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 24 | 38°F | 23°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 25 | 38°F | 23°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 26 | 38°F | 23°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 27 | 38°F | 23°F | 30% | 16% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 28 | 37°F | 22°F | 30% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 29 | 37°F | 22°F | 30% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 30 | 37°F | 22°F | 30% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 31 | 37°F | 22°F | 30% | 15% | 9 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 41°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 25°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 2.15 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 4.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 24
- Daylight
- 9 h 30 min to 9 h 20 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 63%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093822; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Springfield in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 30% on average, highest around December 1 (30%). In all, 2.15 in falls on 9 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Springfield, 24 nights fall to freezing, 8 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 4.3 inches.
Snow falls on 4 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 6 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093822.
How humid and windy is Springfield in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 34°F with 66% relative humidity and a dew point of 24°F; at 6 a.m. it is 26°F with 81% humidity. The wind averages 10.4 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 | 81% | 9.4 mph | 50% |
| 9 a.m. | 28°F | 22°F | 78% | 10.3 mph | 51% |
| noon | 33°F | 24°F | 69% | 11.8 mph | 51% |
| 3 p.m. | 34°F | 24°F | 66% | 11.9 mph | 53% |
| 6 p.m. | 31°F | 24°F | 74% | 10.2 mph | 52% |
| 9 p.m. | 29°F | 23°F | 76% | 10.3 mph | 52% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093822. 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 Springfield?
The warmest December temperature on Springfield's official record (since 1879) is 74°F, on December 3, 1970; the coldest is −21°F, on December 23, 1989. The wettest December brought 8.94 in (1982); the snowiest, 22.7 inches (1973).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 32.9°F: 2021 41.9°F (+9.0), 2022 31.4°F (−1.5), 2023 40.5°F (+7.6), 2024 34.7°F (+1.8), 2025 30.1°F (−2.8). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 41.9°F | +9.0°F | 1.94 in |
| 2022 | 31.4°F | −1.5°F | 2.40 in |
| 2023 | 40.5°F | +7.6°F | 2.98 in |
| 2024 | 34.7°F | +1.8°F | 2.02 in |
| 2025 | 30.1°F | −2.8°F | 1.38 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record SPIthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093822. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Springfield compare across Illinois?
Across the 144 places PlainClimate covers in Illinois, December normal highs run from 33°F in Galena to 48°F in Anna; Springfield's is 41°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.