Watertown weather in December: Watertown, South Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Watertown in December has a normal high of 26°F and a normal low of 9°F, a daily mean of 18°F, falling from 32°F on the 1st to 22°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 6 days in a normal December, 0.68 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −3°C and low of −13°C, 17 mm of precipitation and 23 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationWatertown Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014946
- Location44.90°N 97.15°W
- Elevation1,748 ft (533 m)
- Population23,492
- Jan 21° 3°
- Feb 26° 7°
- Mar 39° 20°
- Apr 54° 32°
- May 67° 45°
- Jun 77° 55°
- Jul 82° 60°
- Aug 80° 58°
- Sep 72° 49°
- Oct 56° 35°
- Nov 40° 21°
- Dec 26° 9°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Watertown in December?
The normal high is 26°F and the normal low 9°F, for a daily mean of 17.8°F. December is 12.8°F cooler than November and 5.6°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Watertown and the 9th wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 10°F, from 32°F on December 1 to 22°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 6.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 12°F and 24°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 20%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 32°F | 14°F | 19% | 7% |
| December 8 | 29°F | 12°F | 19% | 7% |
| December 15 | 26°F | 9°F | 19% | 7% |
| December 22 | 24°F | 7°F | 20% | 7% |
| December 31 | 22°F | 5°F | 20% | 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 | 32°F | 14°F | 19% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 2 | 32°F | 14°F | 19% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 3 | 31°F | 14°F | 19% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 4 | 31°F | 13°F | 19% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 5 | 30°F | 13°F | 19% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 6 | 30°F | 12°F | 19% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 7 | 29°F | 12°F | 19% | 7% | 9 h |
| December 8 | 29°F | 12°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 29°F | 11°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 28°F | 11°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 28°F | 11°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 27°F | 10°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 27°F | 10°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 27°F | 10°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 26°F | 9°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 26°F | 9°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 26°F | 9°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 25°F | 8°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 25°F | 8°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 25°F | 8°F | 19% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 24°F | 8°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 24°F | 7°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 24°F | 7°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 24°F | 7°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 23°F | 7°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 23°F | 6°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 23°F | 6°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 23°F | 6°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 23°F | 6°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 22°F | 5°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 22°F | 5°F | 20% | 7% | 8 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 26°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 9°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.68 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 60.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 8.9 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 9 h to 8 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 67%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014946; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Watertown in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 19% on average, highest around December 24 (20%). In all, 0.68 in falls on 6 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Watertown, 31 nights fall to freezing, 20 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 8.9 inches.
Snow falls on 6 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 22 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014946.
How humid and windy is Watertown in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 19°F with 76% relative humidity and a dew point of 13°F; at 6 a.m. it is 12°F with 84% humidity. The wind averages 10.8 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. | 12°F | 8°F | 84% | 10.4 mph | 55% |
| 9 a.m. | 12°F | 8°F | 84% | 10.4 mph | – |
| noon | 17°F | 12°F | 78% | 12.1 mph | 57% |
| 3 p.m. | 19°F | 13°F | 76% | 12.3 mph | 56% |
| 6 p.m. | 16°F | 11°F | 82% | 10.3 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 14°F | 10°F | 83% | 10.4 mph | 57% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014946. 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 Watertown?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 69°F, on December 6, 1939; the coldest is −37°F, on December 18, 2016. The wettest December brought 3.36 in (1955); the snowiest, 29.0 inches (2010).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 17.8°F: 2021 20.0°F (+2.2), 2022 12.8°F (−5.0), 2023 30.0°F (+12.2), 2024 21.6°F (+3.8), 2025 18.8°F (+1.0). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20.0°F | +2.2°F | 1.06 in |
| 2022 | 12.8°F | −5.0°F | 1.34 in |
| 2023 | 30.0°F | +12.2°F | 1.38 in |
| 2024 | 21.6°F | +3.8°F | 0.33 in |
| 2025 | 18.8°F | +1.0°F | 0.56 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00014946; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014946. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Watertown 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; Watertown's is 26°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Watertown in November40°F by day, 21°F at night
- Watertown in January21°F by day, 3°F at night
- Watertown 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