West Lafayette weather in December: West Lafayette, Indiana: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
West Lafayette in December has a normal high of 37°F and a normal low of 22°F, a daily mean of 30°F, falling from 43°F on the 1st to 34°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 2.35 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 3°C and low of −5°C, 60 mm of precipitation and 11 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationWest Lafayette (6 mi NW)
- Station IDUSC00129430
- Location40.48°N 86.99°W
- Elevation708 ft (216 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population46,338
- Jan 32° 16°
- Feb 37° 20°
- Mar 48° 29°
- Apr 61° 39°
- May 72° 51°
- Jun 81° 60°
- Jul 83° 63°
- Aug 82° 60°
- Sep 77° 52°
- Oct 65° 41°
- Nov 50° 32°
- Dec 37° 22°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is West Lafayette in December?
The normal high is 37°F and the normal low 22°F, for a daily mean of 29.8°F. December is 10.7°F cooler than November and 5.4°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in West Lafayette and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 9°F, from 43°F on December 1 to 34°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 5.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 25°F and 35°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 32%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 43°F | 26°F | 32% | 19% |
| December 8 | 40°F | 24°F | 31% | 19% |
| December 15 | 37°F | 22°F | 31% | 19% |
| December 22 | 35°F | 21°F | 31% | 19% |
| December 31 | 34°F | 19°F | 31% | 19% |
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 | 43°F | 26°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 2 | 42°F | 26°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 3 | 42°F | 26°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 4 | 41°F | 25°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 5 | 41°F | 25°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 6 | 41°F | 25°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 7 | 40°F | 25°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 8 | 40°F | 24°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 9 | 39°F | 24°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 10 | 39°F | 24°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 11 | 39°F | 23°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 12 | 38°F | 23°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 13 | 38°F | 23°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 14 | 38°F | 23°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 15 | 37°F | 22°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 16 | 37°F | 22°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 17 | 37°F | 22°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 18 | 37°F | 22°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 19 | 36°F | 21°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 20 | 36°F | 21°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 21 | 36°F | 21°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 22 | 35°F | 21°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 23 | 35°F | 20°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 24 | 35°F | 20°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 25 | 35°F | 20°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 26 | 35°F | 20°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 27 | 34°F | 19°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 28 | 34°F | 19°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 29 | 34°F | 19°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 30 | 34°F | 19°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 31 | 34°F | 19°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 37°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 22°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 2.35 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 4.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 26
- Daylight
- 9 h 30 min to 9 h 20 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 59%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00129430; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in West Lafayette in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 31% on average, highest around December 1 (32%). In all, 2.35 in falls on 10 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in West Lafayette, 26 nights fall to freezing, 9 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 4.2 inches.
Snow falls on 3 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 7 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00129430.
What are the records for December in West Lafayette?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1901) is 71°F, on December 4, 1982; the coldest is −22°F, on December 22, 1989. The wettest December brought 7.74 in (1924); the snowiest, 28.0 inches (1929).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 29.8°F: 2021 39.1°F (+9.3), 2022 31.3°F (+1.5), 2023 39.4°F (+9.6), 2024 33.8°F (+3.9), 2025 27.3°F (−2.5). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 39.1°F | +9.3°F | – |
| 2022 | 31.3°F | +1.5°F | – |
| 2023 | 39.4°F | +9.6°F | 2.61 in |
| 2024 | 33.8°F | +3.9°F | 3.87 in |
| 2025 | 27.3°F | −2.5°F | 1.28 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00129430; recent months: ACIS, station USC00129430. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in West Lafayette 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; West Lafayette's is 37°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- West Lafayette in November50°F by day, 32°F at night
- West Lafayette in January32°F by day, 16°F at night
- West Lafayette through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Indiana in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- English: Indiana's warmest Decembernormal high 47°F