Traverse City weather in December: Traverse City, Michigan: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Traverse City in December has a normal high of 35°F and a normal low of 24°F, a daily mean of 29°F, falling from 39°F on the 1st to 31°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 15 days in a normal December, 1.79 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 1°C and low of −5°C, 45 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationTraverse City Cherry Capitol Airport
- Station IDUSW00014850
- Location44.74°N 85.58°W
- Elevation618 ft (188 m)
- Population15,782
- Jan 29° 17°
- Feb 31° 16°
- Mar 41° 23°
- Apr 54° 33°
- May 67° 43°
- Jun 77° 54°
- Jul 81° 59°
- Aug 80° 59°
- Sep 72° 52°
- Oct 59° 41°
- Nov 46° 32°
- Dec 35° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Traverse City in December?
The normal high is 35°F and the normal low 24°F, for a daily mean of 29.1°F. December is 9.6°F cooler than November and 6.0°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Traverse City and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 39°F on December 1 to 31°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 25°F and 33°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 48%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 39°F | 28°F | 48% | 19% |
| December 8 | 37°F | 26°F | 48% | 17% |
| December 15 | 35°F | 24°F | 47% | 16% |
| December 22 | 33°F | 22°F | 46% | 16% |
| December 31 | 31°F | 20°F | 46% | 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 | 39°F | 28°F | 48% | 19% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 39°F | 27°F | 48% | 18% | 9 h |
| December 3 | 38°F | 27°F | 48% | 18% | 9 h |
| December 4 | 38°F | 27°F | 48% | 18% | 9 h |
| December 5 | 38°F | 26°F | 48% | 18% | 9 h |
| December 6 | 37°F | 26°F | 48% | 18% | 9 h |
| December 7 | 37°F | 26°F | 48% | 18% | 9 h |
| December 8 | 37°F | 26°F | 48% | 17% | 9 h |
| December 9 | 36°F | 25°F | 48% | 17% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 36°F | 25°F | 48% | 17% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 36°F | 25°F | 47% | 17% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 35°F | 25°F | 47% | 17% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 35°F | 24°F | 47% | 17% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 35°F | 24°F | 47% | 17% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 35°F | 24°F | 47% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 34°F | 23°F | 47% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 34°F | 23°F | 47% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 34°F | 23°F | 47% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 34°F | 23°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 33°F | 22°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 33°F | 22°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 33°F | 22°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 33°F | 22°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 32°F | 21°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 32°F | 21°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 32°F | 21°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 32°F | 21°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 32°F | 21°F | 46% | 16% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 32°F | 20°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 31°F | 20°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 31°F | 20°F | 46% | 15% | 8 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 35°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 24°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.79 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 150.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 8 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 47%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014850; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Traverse City in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 47% on average, highest around December 1 (48%). In all, 1.79 in falls on 15 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Traverse City, 27 nights fall to freezing and 13 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014850.
How humid and windy is Traverse City in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 29°F with 71% relative humidity and a dew point of 20°F; at 6 a.m. it is 25°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 8.0 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. | 25°F | 19°F | 80% | 7.1 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 25°F | 19°F | 80% | 7.6 mph | – |
| noon | 27°F | 21°F | 75% | 9.1 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 29°F | 20°F | 71% | 9.8 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 27°F | 20°F | 75% | 7.7 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 26°F | 20°F | 77% | 7.8 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014850. 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 Traverse City?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1896) is 66°F, on December 16, 2021; the coldest is −13°F, on December 30, 1976. The wettest December brought 4.52 in (1899); the snowiest, 50.8 inches (1985).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 29.1°F: 2021 31.9°F (+2.8), 2022 31.1°F (+2.0), 2023 37.7°F (+8.6), 2024 30.7°F (+1.6), 2025 25.9°F (−3.2). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31.9°F | +2.8°F | 1.55 in |
| 2022 | 31.1°F | +2.0°F | 0.64 in |
| 2023 | 37.7°F | +8.6°F | 1.26 in |
| 2024 | 30.7°F | +1.6°F | 1.43 in |
| 2025 | 25.9°F | −3.2°F | 0.97 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00014850; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014850. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Traverse City 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; Traverse City's is 35°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Traverse City in November46°F by day, 32°F at night
- Traverse City in January29°F by day, 17°F at night
- Traverse City 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