Traverse City, MI weather in December
Expect cold, snowy weather in Traverse City in December, with highs near 35°F and lows near 24°F. Rain or snow falls on about 14 days. Snowfall averages about 36.0 in. Dress for deep cold.
- Normal high
- 35°F
- Normal low
- 24°F
- Wet days
- 14
- 1.8 in total
- Snowfall
- 36.0 in
- snow on the ground 20 days
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 39°F | 31°F |
| Normal low | 28°F | 20°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 48% | 46% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:59 am / 5:03 pm | 8:19 am / 5:11 pm |
| Daylight | 9.1 h | 8.8 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Eastern Time).
A typical December day
- 6 am28°Fdew point 22°F
- 9 am28°Fdew point 22°F
- Noon31°Fdew point 23°F
- 3 pm32°Fdew point 23°F
- 6 pm30°Fdew point 23°F
- 9 pm29°Fdew point 23°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport (2 mi away); average wind 8 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F0 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph0 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow14 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in5 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below27 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more20 of 31
Average days per December, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain and snow in December
Normal precipitation is 1.8 in; a dry December brings about 1.1 in and a wet one about 2.5 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more. Normal snowfall is 36.0 in, with about 11 days of an inch or more.
How December varies from year to year
- Warmest December, 1991-20202015: average high 44°F
- Coolest December2000: average high 26°F
- Wettest December2008: 4.0 in
- Driest December2002: 0.5 in
- Highest reading64°F (December 3, 2012)
- Lowest reading-7°F (December 20, 2008)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
December compared with November and January
| November | December | January | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 46°F | 35°F | 29°F |
| Normal low | 32°F | 24°F | 17°F |
| Wet days | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Comfortable days | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylight | 9.6 h | 8.9 h | 9.3 h |
Highs change by -11°F from November and -6°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Drier: Sister Bay, WI79 mi · high 32°F · 10 wet days
How Traverse City ranks in December
- Normal high341st warmest of 378 cities; 7th of 8 in Michigan
- Wet days341st driest of 378
- Comfortable days304th most of 340
What to pack for Traverse City in December
- A warm jacket – lows near 24°F, highs near 35°F
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain or snow on about 14 days
- Waterproof boots – snow on the ground on about 20 days
- A hat and gloves – about 27 freezing nights
Heating and cooling
December has 1114 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 15% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Traverse City in December?
The normal high is 35°F and the normal low is 24°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest December reading was -7°F (most recently on December 20, 2008).
Does it rain a lot in Traverse City in December?
About 14 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 1.8 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2008 (4.0 in); the driest was in 2002 (0.5 in).
Does it snow in Traverse City in December?
Yes. Normal snowfall in December is 36.0 in, and snow covers the ground on about 20 days.
Is December a good time to visit Traverse City?
December ranks 11th of 12 months on our comfort score for Traverse City (26 out of 100). It has almost no comfortable days. The best months are May and June.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport (USW00014850), 2.4 mi SE of the city center, 618 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall: Maple City 1E (USC00205097), 12 mi WNW of the city center, 799 ft (203 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snow depth: Traverse City Munson (USC00208249), 1.2 mi W of the city center, 635 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Cherry Capital Airport (726387-14850), 3.1 mi ESE of the city center, 608 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).