Climate averages 1991–2020
Madison weather
in December.
A freezing month with moderate precipitation: the 10th warmest and the 3rd driest of the year.
Long-term climate patterns, not a forecast for a particular trip.
December is a freezing month in Madison: daytime highs average -0.1°C and nights cool to about -7.4°C. By daytime temperature it is the 10th warmest of the 12 months.
Expect about 48 mm of precipitation on roughly 8 days, which makes December a month with moderate precipitation (the 3rd driest of the 12 months). Daylight, from sunrise to sunset, lasts about 9 h 04 min on an average December day.
The nearest other city in this atlas is Rockford (93 km away). In December its highs average 1.1°C, 1.1°C warmer than Madison, with 53 mm of precipitation.
Among the 498 cities listed in the United States, Madison ranks joint 484th of 498 for the warmest December highs and joint 122nd of 498 for the driest December (precipitation, lowest first). The mean December high of those 498 cities is 10.5°C; Madison is 10.6°C cooler than that mean.
From December to January, average highs fall by 2.9°C to -2.9°C, and monthly precipitation falls from 48 mm to 41 mm.
The annual picture
December in context
Monthly precipitation
Average total · mmAverages from hourly ERA5 reanalysis data. Actual weather varies from year to year. How these numbers are calculated
Every month, side by side
Madison climate table
| Month | Average highHigh / low | Average low | Precipitation mm/month | Wet days ≥1 mm/day | Daylight hours/dayDaylight h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -2.9°C-11.6°C | -11.6°C | 41 | 7.6 | 9.49 h |
| February | -0.6°C-9.9°C | -9.9°C | 41 | 6.7 | 10.510 h |
| March | 6.3°C-3.6°C | -3.6°C | 61 | 9.2 | 11.912 h |
| April | 13.2°C2.8°C | 2.8°C | 101 | 12.3 | 13.413 h |
| May | 19.8°C9.6°C | 9.6°C | 101 | 12.5 | 14.615 h |
| June | 25.1°C15.4°C | 15.4°C | 112 | 11.8 | 15.315 h |
| July | 27.1°C17.9°C | 17.9°C | 83 | 10.2 | 15.015 h |
| August | 26.1°C17.2°C | 17.2°C | 95 | 9.8 | 13.914 h |
| September | 22.1°C13.1°C | 13.1°C | 84 | 9.1 | 12.513 h |
| October | 14.8°C6.4°C | 6.4°C | 72 | 8.7 | 11.111 h |
| November | 6.7°C-0.6°C | -0.6°C | 55 | 8.0 | 9.810 h |
| December, selected | -0.1°C-7.4°C | -7.4°C | 48 | 7.5 | 9.19 h |
Precipitation (rain or snow, as water) is the average of the 30 separate monthly totals. A wet day is a local calendar day with at least 1 mm of precipitation. Daylight is the calculated sunrise-to-sunset length, not measured sunshine.
Compare places
December in nearby cities
- Rockford in DecemberUnited States · 93 kmHigh 1.1°C · Low -6.0°C · 53 mm precipitation
- Waukesha in DecemberUnited States · 95 kmHigh 0.8°C · Low -5.7°C · 50 mm precipitation
- Milwaukee in DecemberUnited States · 122 kmHigh 1.1°C · Low -3.5°C · 55 mm precipitation
- Racine in DecemberUnited States · 137 kmHigh 1.6°C · Low -2.6°C · 68 mm precipitation
- Kenosha in DecemberUnited States · 140 kmHigh 1.8°C · Low -2.4°C · 71 mm precipitation
- Elgin in DecemberUnited States · 147 kmHigh 1.7°C · Low -5.3°C · 55 mm precipitation
- Waukegan in DecemberUnited States · 150 kmHigh 1.8°C · Low -2.4°C · 78 mm precipitation
- Appleton in DecemberUnited States · 154 kmHigh -1.1°C · Low -7.7°C · 45 mm precipitation
Read the numbers correctly
Climate, not a promise.
These patterns help compare months. They cannot tell you the weather on a specific day of your trip.
Sources, method and limitsHow these numbers are made (what the highs, lows and rain days mean, the sources and the model cell used for Madison) is explained once on the Madison year overview and on the Sources, method and limits page.