Climate averages 1991–2020
Missoula weather
in December.
A freezing month with moderate precipitation: the coolest and the 9th driest of the year.
Long-term climate patterns, not a forecast for a particular trip.
December is a freezing month in Missoula: daytime highs average -0.1°C and nights cool to about -7.4°C. By daytime temperature it is the coolest month of the year.
Expect about 51 mm of precipitation on roughly 10 days, which makes December a month with moderate precipitation (the 9th driest of the 12 months). Daylight, from sunrise to sunset, lasts about 8 h 37 min on an average December day.
The nearest other city in this atlas is Spokane Valley (261 km away). In December its highs average 1.7°C, 1.8°C warmer than Missoula, with 85 mm of precipitation.
Among the 498 cities listed in the United States, Missoula ranks joint 484th of 498 for the warmest December highs and joint 146th of 498 for the driest December (precipitation, lowest first). The mean December high of those 498 cities is 10.5°C; Missoula is 10.6°C cooler than that mean.
From December to January, average highs rise by 0.7°C to 0.6°C, and monthly precipitation falls from 51 mm to 45 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
Missoula climate table
| Month | Average highHigh / low | Average low | Precipitation mm/month | Wet days ≥1 mm/day | Daylight hours/dayDaylight h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.6°C-6.9°C | -6.9°C | 45 | 10.8 | 9.09 h |
| February | 2.7°C-5.7°C | -5.7°C | 41 | 9.9 | 10.310 h |
| March | 7.0°C-1.7°C | -1.7°C | 44 | 11.0 | 11.912 h |
| April | 11.4°C1.5°C | 1.5°C | 53 | 11.4 | 13.614 h |
| May | 17.9°C6.3°C | 6.3°C | 56 | 11.0 | 15.015 h |
| June | 22.2°C10.4°C | 10.4°C | 56 | 10.0 | 15.816 h |
| July | 28.8°C15.3°C | 15.3°C | 19 | 4.6 | 15.515 h |
| August | 28.6°C14.9°C | 14.9°C | 19 | 3.8 | 14.214 h |
| September | 22.5°C9.8°C | 9.8°C | 30 | 5.8 | 12.613 h |
| October | 13.6°C3.5°C | 3.5°C | 44 | 8.6 | 10.911 h |
| November | 5.2°C-2.3°C | -2.3°C | 50 | 10.0 | 9.49 h |
| December, selected | -0.1°C-7.4°C | -7.4°C | 51 | 10.4 | 8.69 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
- Spokane Valley in DecemberUnited States · 261 kmHigh 1.7°C · Low -4.3°C · 85 mm precipitation
- Spokane in DecemberUnited States · 274 kmHigh 1.9°C · Low -4.1°C · 78 mm precipitation
- Lethbridge in DecemberCanada · 326 kmHigh -0.6°C · Low -8.4°C · 16 mm precipitation
- Kennewick in DecemberUnited States · 400 kmHigh 5.4°C · Low -1.4°C · 35 mm rain
- Boise in DecemberUnited States · 401 kmHigh 3.7°C · Low -4.1°C · 50 mm rain
- Tri-Cities in DecemberUnited States · 404 kmHigh 5.6°C · Low -1.2°C · 35 mm rain
- Meridian in DecemberUnited States · 408 kmHigh 3.6°C · Low -3.8°C · 42 mm rain
- Nampa in DecemberUnited States · 422 kmHigh 4.4°C · Low -2.9°C · 42 mm rain
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 Missoula) is explained once on the Missoula year overview and on the Sources, method and limits page.