Mandan weather in December

In December, Mandan sees average daytime highs of 26°F and overnight lows near 10°F, with 0.7 in of precipitation across 4.1 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 Mandan's 9th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mandan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
11th warmest
Overnight low
10°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
0.7 in
4.1 wet days
Daylight
8 h 24 min
8:29 AM – 4:50 PM
Cloud cover
64%
9th clearest
Wind
10 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
1.44 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Mandan is city in North Dakota, United States.

Density
737/km²
people per km²
Founded
1881

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 Mandan reaches about 26°F in the afternoon and slips back to 10°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 7°F and 43°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 12°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
82913
92812
102812
112812
122711
132711
142711
152611
162610
172610
182610
192510
202510
21259
22249
23249
24248
25238
26238
27238
28227
29227
30227
31226

How December really feels in Mandan

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.

Mandan 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° / 0.64.54.98.80.0
Feb26° / 0.74.74.7100.0
Mar38° / 20°1.15.34.111.60.3
Apr53° / 32°1.97.7313.33.1
May65° / 44°2.910.30.414.85.8
Jun75° / 54°3.811.5015.66.6
Jul81° / 59°3.010015.36.7
Aug81° / 57°2.37.50147.2
Sep71° / 47°1.86.4012.47.3
Oct55° / 35°1.86.41.710.64.0
Nov38° / 21°0.84.23.59.20.2
Dec26° / 10°0.74.14.78.40.0

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 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 60%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14159
24258
34159
44159
54159
64258
74258
84258
94258
104060
114060
124060
134060
144159
154159
164060
174060
184060
194060
204060
213961
223961
233961
243961
253862
263862
273961
283961
293862
303862
313862

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Mandan gets around 0.7 in of rain and snow over 4.1 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 13% and peaks near 16% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11213
21213
31213
41213
51213
61113
71113
81113
91113
101113
111113
121213
131214
141214
151214
161315
171315
181415
191416
201416
211517
221517
231517
241618
251618
261618
271618
281618
291618
301618
311618

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 8:15 AM to 8:35 AM, and sunset from 4:52 PM to 4:58 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.68:154:52
28.68:164:51
38.68:174:51
48.58:184:51
58.58:194:50
68.58:204:50
78.58:214:50
88.58:224:50
98.48:234:50
108.48:244:50
118.48:254:50
128.48:264:50
138.48:274:50
148.48:284:50
158.48:284:50
168.48:294:50
178.38:304:51
188.38:304:51
198.38:314:51
208.38:324:52
218.38:324:52
228.38:334:52
238.38:334:53
248.38:334:53
258.38:344:54
268.38:344:55
278.38:344:55
288.48:354:56
298.48:354:57
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 1.44 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.44 kWh/m² to a high of 6.72 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.44 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
101.5Dim
111.5Dim
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
271.5Dim
281.5Dim
291.5Dim
301.5Dim
311.5Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Mandan

In seasonPeak

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

Mandan'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 Mandan?

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 Mandan.

What to pack for Mandan in December

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

In December, Mandan 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 Mandan 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 Mandan 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 Mandan?

Mandan sits at 46.8°N, 100.9°W, 1,647 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Bismarck, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Mandan

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Mandan has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 341 ft around an average of 1,709 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 499 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 899 ft.

The land around Mandan is covered by grassland (44%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 2 miles, grassland (63%) and cropland (21%) within 10 miles, and grassland (63%) and cropland (33%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
341 ft
10 miles
499 ft
50 miles
899 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Bismarck 5.0 mi · Dickinson 90 mi · Minot 99 mi · Jamestown 103 mi · Aberdeen 149 mi · Williston 157 mi · West Fargo 188 mi · Fargo 194 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 Mandan (46.8267°, -100.8896°, elevation 1,647 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).