Bismarck weather in December

In December, Bismarck sees average daytime highs of 26°F and overnight lows near 10°F, with 0.7 in of precipitation across 4.4 wet days and about 8.4 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 30°F in the first days to 22°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 36 min at the start of December to 8 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Bismarck's 9th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bismarck's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
11th warmest
Overnight low
10°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
0.7 in
4.4 wet days
Daylight
8 h 24 min
8:29 AM – 4:50 PM
Cloud cover
65%
9th clearest
Wind
10 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
1.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Bismarck is capital city of the U.S. state of North Dakota and seat of Burleigh County.

Density
58,300/km²
people per km²
Founded
1872

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 30°F in the first days to 22°F by the end.

A typical December day in Bismarck reaches about 26°F in the afternoon and slips back to 10°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 7°F and 42°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 13°F cooler than November and about 4°F warmer than January.

-20°20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13115
23115
33014
43014
52914
62913
72913
82812
92812
102812
112811
122711
132711
142711
152610
162610
172610
182510
192510
20259
21249
22249
23248
24238
25238
26238
27227
28227
29226
30226
31216

How December really feels in Bismarck

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 31 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
31
31 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Bismarck weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 0.64.54.88.80.0
Feb26° / 0.74.44.6100.0
Mar38° / 20°1.05411.60.2
Apr53° / 32°1.87.52.913.33.1
May66° / 44°2.99.80.414.85.9
Jun75° / 55°3.811.1015.66.7
Jul81° / 60°3.09.8015.36.8
Aug81° / 57°2.37.40147.2
Sep71° / 48°1.86.5012.47.2
Oct55° / 35°1.86.51.510.64.0
Nov38° / 22°0.84.13.59.20.2
Dec26° / 10°0.74.44.98.40.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14060
24060
33961
44060
54060
64060
73961
83961
93961
104060
114060
124060
134060
144060
153961
163961
174060
184060
193862
203862
213961
223961
233961
243763
253862
263862
273763
283763
293862
303961
313961

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Bismarck gets around 0.7 in of rain and snow over 4.4 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 14% and peaks near 18% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11213
21213
31213
41113
51113
61113
71113
81113
91113
101113
111213
121213
131214
141314
151315
161415
171415
181516
191516
201617
211617
221718
231718
241719
251819
261819
271819
281819
291819
301819
311719

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in December

Winds average 10 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 10 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
210light breeze
310light breeze
410light breeze
510light breeze
610light breeze
710light breeze
810light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
1710light breeze
1810light breeze
1910light breeze
2010light breeze
2110light breeze
2210light breeze
2310light breeze
2410light breeze
2510light breeze
2610light breeze
2710light breeze
2810light breeze
2910light breeze
3010light breeze
3110light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 36 min at the start of December to 8 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:14 AM to 8:35 AM, and sunset from 4:51 PM to 4:58 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.68:144:51
28.68:164:51
38.68:174:51
48.58:184:50
58.58:194:50
68.58:204:50
78.58:214:50
88.58:224:50
98.48:234:49
108.48:244:49
118.48:254:49
128.48:264:49
138.48:264:49
148.48:274:50
158.48:284:50
168.48:294:50
178.38:294:50
188.38:304:51
198.38:314:51
208.38:314:51
218.38:324:52
228.38:324:52
238.38:334:53
248.38:334:53
258.38:334:54
268.38:344:54
278.38:344:55
288.48:344:56
298.48:344:56
308.48:354:57
318.48:354:58

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.43 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.43 kWh/m² to a high of 6.7 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.43 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.5Dim
21.5Dim
31.5Dim
41.5Dim
51.5Dim
61.5Dim
71.5Dim
81.5Dim
91.5Dim
101.4Dim
111.4Dim
121.4Dim
131.4Dim
141.4Dim
151.4Dim
161.4Dim
171.4Dim
181.4Dim
191.4Dim
201.4Dim
211.4Dim
221.4Dim
231.4Dim
241.4Dim
251.4Dim
261.4Dim
271.4Dim
281.5Dim
291.5Dim
301.5Dim
311.5Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Bismarck

In seasonPeak

None of Bismarck's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Bismarck's rainy season runs April–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Bismarck?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Bismarck.

What to pack for Bismarck in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Bismarck sees daytime highs around 26°F and nights near 10°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 4 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Bismarck in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bismarck peaks around June 22 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 22UV 8Dec 20UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr4Moderate
May6High
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep5High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Bismarck?

Bismarck sits at 46.8°N, 100.8°W, 1,686 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mandan, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Bismarck

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Bismarck.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bismarck has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 285 ft around an average of 1,713 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 505 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 915 ft.

The land around Bismarck is covered by artificial surfaces (54%) and trees (23%) within 2 miles, grassland (63%) and cropland (20%) within 10 miles, and grassland (62%) and cropland (34%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
285 ft
10 miles
505 ft
50 miles
915 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Mandan 5.0 mi · Dickinson 95 mi · Jamestown 98 mi · Minot 101 mi · Aberdeen 144 mi · Williston 162 mi · West Fargo 183 mi · Fargo 189 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Bismarck (46.8083°, -100.7837°, elevation 1,686 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).