Manitowoc weather in December

In December, Manitowoc sees average daytime highs of 33°F and overnight lows near 23°F, with 1.8 in of precipitation across 7.3 wet days and about 8.8 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 37°F in the first days to 29°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 54 min at the start of December to 8 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Manitowoc's 12th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Manitowoc's year-round climate.

Daytime high
33°
10th warmest
Overnight low
23°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
1.8 in
7.3 wet days
Daylight
8 h 42 min
7:25 AM – 4:08 PM
Cloud cover
70%
12th clearest
Wind
10 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.42 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Manitowoc is city in and the county seat of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States.

Density
701/km²
people per km²

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 37°F in the first days to 29°F by the end.

A typical December day in Manitowoc reaches about 33°F in the afternoon and slips back to 23°F overnight — a 10°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°F and 44°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 11°F cooler than November and about 6°F warmer than January.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13828
23728
33728
43627
53627
63526
73526
83525
93425
103425
113424
123324
133324
143323
153323
163223
173222
183222
193222
203122
213121
223121
233121
243120
253020
263020
273020
283019
292919
302919
312918

How December really feels in Manitowoc

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
21 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Manitowoc weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 15°1.67.96.79.10.0
Feb29° / 16°1.46.65.610.20.0
Mar38° / 25°2.294.811.60.1
Apr49° / 36°3.411.22.713.21.9
May60° / 47°3.310.4014.54.7
Jun72° / 59°3.410.6015.26.5
Jul78° / 65°3.510.70156.8
Aug76° / 64°3.510.3013.86.9
Sep69° / 56°2.89.4012.36.5
Oct56° / 45°2.99.70.210.83.9
Nov44° / 34°2.18.529.40.8
Dec33° / 23°1.87.35.28.80.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 68%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13169
23169
33169
43169
53169
63268
73367
83367
93466
103466
113466
123466
133367
143367
153367
163268
173268
183268
193268
203268
213268
223169
233169
243169
253169
263169
273070
283169
293268
303268
313268

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Manitowoc gets around 1.8 in of rain and snow over 7.3 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 24% and peaks near 28% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12816
22816
32817
42717
52717
62617
72617
82517
92517
102417
112417
122316
132316
142316
152316
162316
172316
182315
192315
202315
212315
222315
232316
242316
252316
262316
272316
282216
292216
302216
312217

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 11 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
111light breeze
211light breeze
311light breeze
411light breeze
511light 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 54 min at the start of December to 8 h 42 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 7:12 AM to 7:32 AM, and sunset from 4:09 PM to 4:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.97:124:09
28.97:134:08
38.97:144:08
48.97:154:08
58.97:164:08
68.87:174:07
78.87:184:07
88.87:194:07
98.87:204:07
108.87:214:07
118.87:224:07
128.77:234:07
138.77:234:08
148.77:244:08
158.77:254:08
168.77:254:08
178.77:264:08
188.77:274:09
198.77:274:09
208.77:284:09
218.77:284:10
228.77:294:10
238.77:294:11
248.77:304:11
258.77:304:12
268.77:314:12
278.77:314:13
288.77:314:14
298.77:314:14
308.77:324:15
318.77:324:16

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.42 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.42 kWh/m² to a high of 6.51 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.42 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.5Dim
21.5Dim
31.5Dim
41.5Dim
51.5Dim
61.4Dim
71.4Dim
81.4Dim
91.4Dim
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

Is December a good time to visit Manitowoc?

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 Manitowoc.

What to pack for Manitowoc in December

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

In December, Manitowoc sees daytime highs around 33°F and nights near 23°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near Manitowoc in December

The nearest coast averages about 40°F in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 69°F and coldest in March near 36°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Aug 10 to Aug 23 — about 0.5 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan38Bracing
Feb36Bracing
Mar36Bracing
Apr38Bracing
May41Bracing
Jun52Bracing
Jul65Cool
Aug69Refreshing
Sep65Cool
Oct55Bracing
Nov46Bracing
Dec40Bracing

UV index in Manitowoc 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 Manitowoc peaks around June 18 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 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 18UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Manitowoc?

Manitowoc sits at 44.1°N, 87.7°W, 604 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Sheboygan, 24 mi away.

Topography around Manitowoc

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Manitowoc has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 125 ft around an average of 607 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 394 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 774 ft.

The land around Manitowoc is covered by water (40%) and artificial surfaces (33%) within 2 miles, water (41%) and cropland (25%) within 10 miles, and water (53%) and cropland (24%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
125 ft
10 miles
394 ft
50 miles
774 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Sheboygan 24 mi · Bellevue 28 mi · De Pere 32 mi · Kaukauna 33 mi · Ashwaubenon 34 mi · Green Bay 35 mi · Howard 38 mi · Appleton 39 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 Manitowoc (44.0886°, -87.6576°, elevation 604 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).