Wausau weather in December: Wausau, Wisconsin: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Wausau in December has a normal high of 28°F and a normal low of 14°F, a daily mean of 21°F, falling from 33°F on the 1st to 24°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal December, 1.54 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −2°C and low of −10°C, 39 mm of precipitation and 37 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationWausau Asos
- Station IDUSW00014897
- Location44.93°N 89.63°W
- Elevation1,181 ft (360 m)
- Population40,262
- Jan 23° 7°
- Feb 27° 10°
- Mar 40° 21°
- Apr 54° 32°
- May 67° 45°
- Jun 76° 55°
- Jul 80° 59°
- Aug 78° 57°
- Sep 70° 49°
- Oct 56° 37°
- Nov 40° 25°
- Dec 28° 14°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Wausau in December?
The normal high is 28°F and the normal low 14°F, for a daily mean of 20.7°F. December is 12.1°F cooler than November and 5.9°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Wausau and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 9°F, from 33°F on December 1 to 24°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 5.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 16°F and 26°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 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 33°F | 19°F | 34% | 15% |
| December 8 | 30°F | 16°F | 34% | 14% |
| December 15 | 28°F | 14°F | 34% | 14% |
| December 22 | 26°F | 12°F | 34% | 14% |
| December 31 | 24°F | 9°F | 34% | 13% |
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 | 33°F | 19°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 2 | 33°F | 18°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 3 | 32°F | 18°F | 34% | 15% | 9 h |
| December 4 | 32°F | 18°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 5 | 31°F | 17°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 6 | 31°F | 17°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 7 | 31°F | 16°F | 34% | 14% | 9 h |
| December 8 | 30°F | 16°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 30°F | 16°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 30°F | 15°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 29°F | 15°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 29°F | 15°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 29°F | 14°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 28°F | 14°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 28°F | 14°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 28°F | 13°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 27°F | 13°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 27°F | 13°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 27°F | 12°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 26°F | 12°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 26°F | 12°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 26°F | 12°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 26°F | 11°F | 34% | 14% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 26°F | 11°F | 34% | 13% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 25°F | 11°F | 34% | 13% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 25°F | 10°F | 34% | 13% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 25°F | 10°F | 34% | 13% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 25°F | 10°F | 34% | 13% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 24°F | 10°F | 34% | 13% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 24°F | 9°F | 34% | 13% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 24°F | 9°F | 34% | 13% | 8 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 28°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 14°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 1.54 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 14.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 9 h to 8 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 60%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014897; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Wausau in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 34% on average, highest around December 2 (34%). In all, 1.54 in falls on 11 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Wausau, 30 nights fall to freezing, 20 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 14.4 inches.
Snow falls on 11 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 24 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014897.
How humid and windy is Wausau in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 22°F with 67% relative humidity and a dew point of 13°F; at 6 a.m. it is 15°F with 81% humidity. The wind averages 7.7 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. | 15°F | 10°F | 81% | 6.9 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 15°F | 10°F | 80% | 7.6 mph | – |
| noon | 20°F | 13°F | 72% | 9.0 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 22°F | 13°F | 67% | 9.4 mph | 44% |
| 6 p.m. | 20°F | 13°F | 73% | 7.3 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 18°F | 11°F | 76% | 7.2 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014897. 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 Wausau?
The warmest December temperature on Wausau's official record (since 1895) is 61°F, on December 2, 1982; the coldest is −27°F, on December 15, 1901. The wettest December brought 4.94 in (2015); the snowiest, 37.6 inches (2008).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 20.7°F: 2021 25.0°F (+4.3), 2022 20.5°F (−0.2), 2023 32.8°F (+12.1), 2024 24.1°F (+3.4), 2025 16.3°F (−4.4). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 25.0°F | +4.3°F | 2.72 in |
| 2022 | 20.5°F | −0.2°F | 1.59 in |
| 2023 | 32.8°F | +12.1°F | 0.82 in |
| 2024 | 24.1°F | +3.4°F | 0.84 in |
| 2025 | 16.3°F | −4.4°F | 1.36 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record AUWthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014897. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Wausau compare across Wisconsin?
Across the 165 places PlainClimate covers in Wisconsin, December normal highs run from 24°F in Drummond to 37°F in Kenosha; Wausau's is 28°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.