Mankato weather in December

In December, Mankato sees average daytime highs of 28°F and overnight lows near 14°F, with 1.4 in of precipitation across 6.7 wet days and about 8.7 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 33°F in the first days to 25°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% 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 Mankato's 12th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mankato's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
10th warmest
Overnight low
14°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
1.4 in
6.7 wet days
Daylight
8 h 42 min
7:51 AM – 4:33 PM
Cloud cover
68%
12th clearest
Wind
9 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
1.56 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Mankato is city in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, USA.

Density
868/km²
people per km²
Founded
1852

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 33°F in the first days to 25°F by the end.

A typical December day in Mankato reaches about 28°F in the afternoon and slips back to 14°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 11°F and 42°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 14°F cooler than November and about 5°F warmer than January.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13419
23319
33318
43218
53217
63117
73116
83016
93016
102915
112915
122915
132915
142814
152814
162814
172814
182713
192713
202713
212713
222613
232613
242612
252612
262612
272511
282511
292511
302411
312410

How December really feels in Mankato

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.

Mankato 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
Jan23° / 1.06.15.99.10.0
Feb27° / 12°1.05.14.710.20.0
Mar41° / 24°2.27.93.911.60.6
Apr56° / 37°3.610.71.813.23.7
May69° / 50°4.712.60.114.55.9
Jun78° / 60°5.112.4015.26.4
Jul81° / 64°4.09.90156.6
Aug79° / 61°4.29.7013.86.9
Sep72° / 53°3.38.7012.37.0
Oct58° / 40°2.48.40.510.84.6
Nov42° / 27°1.86.23.29.40.7
Dec28° / 14°1.46.75.98.70.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 65%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23763
33763
43763
53763
63763
73664
83763
93763
103763
113664
123664
133565
143565
153565
163565
173565
183466
193466
203466
213466
223466
233466
243466
253466
263466
273466
283565
293565
303565
313565

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Mankato gets around 1.4 in of rain and snow over 6.7 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 21% and peaks near 22% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12216
22117
32117
42117
52117
62117
72118
82218
92218
102218
112218
122218
132219
142119
152119
162119
172219
182119
192120
202120
212120
222120
232120
242120
252019
262019
272019
282019
291919
301918
311918

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 9 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light 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 7:38 AM to 7:57 AM, and sunset from 4:34 PM to 4:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.97:384:34
28.97:394:33
38.97:404:33
48.97:414:33
58.87:424:33
68.87:434:33
78.87:444:33
88.87:454:32
98.87:464:32
108.87:474:32
118.87:474:32
128.77:484:33
138.77:494:33
148.77:504:33
158.77:504:33
168.77:514:33
178.77:524:34
188.77:524:34
198.77:534:34
208.77:544:35
218.77:544:35
228.77:554:35
238.77:554:36
248.77:554:36
258.77:564:37
268.77:564:38
278.77:574:38
288.77:574:39
298.77:574:40
308.77:574:40
318.77:574:41

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.56 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.56 kWh/m² to a high of 6.38 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.56 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.6Dim
21.6Dim
31.6Dim
41.6Dim
51.6Dim
61.6Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.6Dim
101.6Dim
111.6Dim
121.6Dim
131.6Dim
141.6Dim
151.6Dim
161.6Dim
171.6Dim
181.6Dim
191.6Dim
201.6Dim
211.6Dim
221.6Dim
231.6Dim
241.6Dim
251.6Dim
261.6Dim
271.6Dim
281.6Dim
291.6Dim
301.6Dim
311.6Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Mankato

In seasonPeak

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

Mankato'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 Mankato?

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 Mankato.

What to pack for Mankato in December

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

In December, Mankato sees daytime highs around 28°F and nights near 14°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Mankato 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 Mankato peaks around June 15 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 highHighHighModerateLowJun 15UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul6High
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Mankato?

Mankato sits at 44.2°N, 94.0°W, 830 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Faribault, 38 mi away.

Topography around Mankato

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Mankato has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 302 ft around an average of 899 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 374 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 732 ft.

The land around Mankato is covered by trees (53%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 2 miles, cropland (58%) and trees (23%) within 10 miles, and cropland (80%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
302 ft
10 miles
374 ft
50 miles
732 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Faribault 38 mi · Owatonna 39 mi · Northfield 47 mi · Albert Lea 48 mi · Chaska 48 mi · Prior Lake 48 mi · Shakopee 50 mi · Lakeville 51 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 Mankato (44.1591°, -94.0092°, elevation 830 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).