Oshkosh weather in December

In December, Oshkosh sees average daytime highs of 31°F and overnight lows near 20°F, with 1.7 in of precipitation across 7.1 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 35°F in the first days to 28°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% 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 Oshkosh's 12th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Oshkosh's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
10th warmest
Overnight low
20°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
1.7 in
7.1 wet days
Daylight
8 h 42 min
7:29 AM – 4:12 PM
Cloud cover
70%
12th clearest
Wind
10 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
1.55 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Oshkosh is city in and county seat of Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States.

Density
924/km²
people per km²
Founded
1818

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 35°F in the first days to 28°F by the end.

A typical December day in Oshkosh reaches about 31°F in the afternoon and slips back to 20°F overnight — a 10°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°F and 42°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 12°F cooler than November and about 6°F warmer than January.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13526
23525
33525
43424
53424
63323
73323
83222
93222
103222
113122
123121
133121
143121
153020
163020
173020
183020
192919
202919
212919
222919
232919
242918
252818
262818
272817
282817
292817
302717
312717

How December really feels in Oshkosh

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
27 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Oshkosh 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
Jan25° / 14°1.57.86.99.10.0
Feb28° / 16°1.36.65.510.20.0
Mar38° / 25°2.38.74.711.60.1
Apr51° / 37°3.310.92.413.22.4
May64° / 50°3.410.9014.55.5
Jun74° / 61°3.710.6015.26.7
Jul79° / 65°3.210.10156.8
Aug77° / 63°3.410.1013.87.0
Sep69° / 56°2.99.3012.36.6
Oct56° / 44°2.99.90.310.83.8
Nov42° / 32°2.18.32.49.40.6
Dec31° / 20°1.77.15.48.80.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% 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 68%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13169
23169
33169
43169
53169
63169
73169
83268
93268
103268
113367
123268
133268
143268
153367
163268
173268
183268
193367
203367
213367
223367
233367
243367
253268
263367
273367
283367
293367
303367
313367

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Oshkosh gets around 1.7 in of rain and snow over 7.1 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 23% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12717
22717
32617
42618
52518
62518
72418
82418
92418
102318
112317
122317
132317
142317
152317
162317
172317
182317
192316
202316
212316
222316
232216
242216
252216
262216
272216
282216
292217
302217
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 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 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 7:16 AM to 7:35 AM, and sunset from 4:12 PM to 4:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.97:164:12
28.97:174:12
38.97:184:12
48.97:194:12
58.97:204:11
68.87:214:11
78.87:224:11
88.87:224:11
98.87:234:11
108.87:244:11
118.87:254:11
128.87:264:11
138.77:274:11
148.77:274:11
158.77:284:12
168.77:294:12
178.77:294:12
188.77:304:12
198.77:314:13
208.77:314:13
218.77:324:14
228.77:324:14
238.77:334:15
248.77:334:15
258.77:334:16
268.77:344:16
278.77:344:17
288.77:344:17
298.77:354:18
308.77:354:19
318.77:354:20

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.55 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.55 kWh/m² to a high of 6.14 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.55 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
121.5Dim
131.5Dim
141.5Dim
151.5Dim
161.5Dim
171.5Dim
181.5Dim
191.5Dim
201.5Dim
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

Is December a good time to visit Oshkosh?

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 Oshkosh.

What to pack for Oshkosh in December

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

In December, Oshkosh sees daytime highs around 31°F and nights near 20°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Oshkosh 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 Oshkosh peaks around June 18 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. 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 18UV 9Dec 20UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Oshkosh?

Oshkosh sits at 44.0°N, 88.5°W, 768 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Neenah, 12 mi away.

Topography around Oshkosh

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Oshkosh has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 148 ft around an average of 758 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 318 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 768 ft.

The land around Oshkosh is covered by artificial surfaces (44%), trees (21%) and water (21%) within 2 miles, water (40%) and cropland (30%) within 10 miles, and cropland (45%) and trees (30%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
148 ft
10 miles
318 ft
50 miles
768 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Neenah 12 mi · Menasha 13 mi · Appleton 17 mi · Fond du Lac 18 mi · Kaukauna 22 mi · De Pere 38 mi · Ashwaubenon 39 mi · Beaver Dam 42 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 Oshkosh (44.0247°, -88.5426°, elevation 768 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).