Fargo, ND weather in December
December in Fargo: very cold and snowy. Highs 24°F, lows 8°F, about 10 days with rain or snow and about 11.7 in of snow. Pack for serious cold.
- Normal high
- 24°F
- Normal low
- 8°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 0.9 in total
- Snowfall
- 11.7 in
- snow on the ground 22 days
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 30°F | 19°F |
| Normal low | 13°F | 3°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 28% | 32% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:51 am / 4:40 pm | 8:12 am / 4:47 pm |
| Daylight | 8.8 h | 8.6 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Central Time).
A typical December day
- 6 am14°Fdew point 9°F
- 9 am14°Fdew point 9°F
- Noon19°Fdew point 12°F
- 3 pm21°Fdew point 13°F
- 6 pm18°Fdew point 12°F
- 9 pm16°Fdew point 11°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Fargo Hector Intl Airport (4 mi away); average wind 11 mph; clear or few clouds in 47% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 49%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F0 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 snow10 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in3 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below31 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more22 of 31
Average days per December, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain and snow in December
Normal precipitation is 0.9 in; a dry December brings about 0.4 in and a wet one about 1.3 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare. Normal snowfall is 11.7 in, with about 3 days of an inch or more.
How December varies from year to year
- Warmest December, 1991-20202006: average high 35°F
- Coolest December2000: average high 9°F
- Wettest December2009: 1.9 in
- Driest December1997: 0.07 in
- Highest reading55°F (December 18, 2011)
- Lowest reading-27°F (December 25, 1996)
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 | 38°F | 24°F | 18°F |
| Normal low | 21°F | 8°F | 0°F |
| Wet days | 8 | 10 | 9 |
| Comfortable days | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylight | 9.4 h | 8.6 h | 9.0 h |
Highs change by -14°F from November and -6°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Warmer: Sioux Falls, SD230 mi · high 32°F · 7 wet days
- Drier: Aberdeen, SD127 mi · high 29°F · 7 wet days
How Fargo ranks in December
- Normal high374th warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 4 in North Dakota
- Wet days218th driest of 378
- Comfortable days319th most of 340
What to pack for Fargo in December
- A warm jacket – lows near 8°F, highs near 24°F
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain or snow on about 10 days
- Waterproof boots – snow on the ground on about 22 days
- A hat and gloves – about 31 freezing nights
Heating and cooling
December has 1527 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 16% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Fargo in December?
The normal high is 24°F and the normal low is 8°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest December reading was -27°F (December 25, 1996).
Does it rain a lot in Fargo in December?
About 10 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.9 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2009 (1.9 in); the driest was in 1997 (0.07 in).
Does it snow in Fargo in December?
Yes. Normal snowfall in December is 11.7 in, and snow covers the ground on about 22 days.
Is December a good time to visit Fargo?
December ranks 12th of 12 months on our comfort score for Fargo (24 out of 100). It has almost no comfortable days. The best months are May and June.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Fargo Hector Intl Airport (USW00014914), 3.5 mi NNW of the city center, 900 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Hector International Airport (727530-14914), 3.4 mi NNW of the city center, 895 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.