Sioux Falls weather in December

In December, Sioux Falls sees average daytime highs of 30°F and overnight lows near 15°F, with 1.0 in of precipitation across 5 wet days and about 8.8 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 34°F in the first days to 27°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 hours at the start of December to 8 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Sioux Falls's 10th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sioux Falls's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
11th warmest
Overnight low
15°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
1.0 in
5 wet days
Daylight
8 h 48 min
8:00 AM – 4:46 PM
Cloud cover
62%
10th clearest
Wind
10 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
1.73 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Sioux Falls is city in and seat of Minnehaha County, and largest city in South Dakota, United States.

Density
872/km²
people per km²
Founded
1856

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 34°F in the first days to 27°F by the end.

A typical December day in Sioux Falls reaches about 30°F in the afternoon and slips back to 15°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 13°F and 44°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 13°F cooler than November and about 4°F warmer than January.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13519
23418
33418
43318
53317
63317
73217
83216
93216
103116
113116
123115
133115
143015
153015
163015
173014
182914
192914
202914
212913
222913
232813
242813
252813
262812
272712
282712
292711
302611
312611

How December really feels in Sioux Falls

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.

Sioux Falls 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
Jan26° / 10°0.84.74.49.10.0
Feb31° / 13°0.94.84.410.20.0
Mar43° / 24°1.86.63.711.61.0
Apr57° / 36°3.610.32.213.24.0
May69° / 49°4.512.5014.55.9
Jun78° / 59°5.112.5015.26.4
Jul82° / 64°3.38.9014.96.5
Aug80° / 61°3.38.8013.87.0
Sep73° / 52°3.27.9012.37.2
Oct59° / 39°2.470.710.85.0
Nov43° / 25°1.65.53.19.50.9
Dec30° / 15°1.054.88.80.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% 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 59%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14555
24456
34456
44357
54357
64357
74357
84357
94258
104159
114159
124060
134060
144060
154060
164060
174060
184060
194060
204060
214060
224060
234060
243961
254060
263961
273961
284060
294060
304060
314060

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Sioux Falls gets around 1.0 in of rain and snow over 5 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 16% and peaks near 17% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11715
21715
31715
41615
51615
61615
71615
81615
91615
101615
111615
121514
131514
141514
151514
161515
171515
181615
191615
201615
211615
221616
231616
241616
251716
261716
271716
281716
291716
301716
311716

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 9 hours at the start of December to 8 h 48 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 7:47 AM to 8:06 AM, and sunset from 4:47 PM to 4:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.07:474:47
29.07:484:46
39.07:494:46
48.97:504:46
58.97:514:46
68.97:524:46
78.97:534:46
88.97:544:45
98.97:544:45
108.87:554:45
118.87:564:46
128.87:574:46
138.87:584:46
148.87:584:46
158.87:594:46
168.88:004:46
178.88:004:47
188.88:014:47
198.88:024:47
208.88:024:48
218.88:034:48
228.88:034:49
238.88:044:49
248.88:044:50
258.88:044:50
268.88:054:51
278.88:054:51
288.88:054:52
298.88:064:53
308.88:064:53
318.88:064:54

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.73 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.73 kWh/m² to a high of 6.67 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.73 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.8Dim
21.8Dim
31.8Dim
41.8Dim
51.8Dim
61.8Dim
71.8Dim
81.8Dim
91.8Dim
101.8Dim
111.8Dim
121.7Dim
131.7Dim
141.7Dim
151.7Dim
161.7Dim
171.7Dim
181.7Dim
191.7Dim
201.7Dim
211.7Dim
221.7Dim
231.7Dim
241.7Dim
251.7Dim
261.7Dim
271.7Dim
281.8Dim
291.8Dim
301.8Dim
311.8Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Sioux Falls

In seasonPeak

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

Sioux Falls'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 Sioux Falls?

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 Sioux Falls.

What to pack for Sioux Falls in December

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

In December, Sioux Falls sees daytime highs around 30°F and nights near 15°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 5 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Sioux Falls in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sioux Falls peaks around June 16 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 16UV 8Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May6High
Jun9Very high
Jul6High
Aug7High
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls sits at 43.5°N, 96.7°W, 1,470 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Brookings, 53 mi away.

Topography around Sioux Falls

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Sioux Falls has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 246 ft around an average of 1,440 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 390 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 843 ft.

The land around Sioux Falls is covered by artificial surfaces (47%) and trees (37%) within 2 miles, cropland (51%) and grassland (25%) within 10 miles, and cropland (83%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
246 ft
10 miles
390 ft
50 miles
843 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Brookings 53 mi · Mitchell 66 mi · Sioux City 74 mi · Watertown 96 mi · Norfolk 111 mi · Willmar 137 mi · Mankato 142 mi · Fremont 146 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 Sioux Falls (43.5437°, -96.728°, elevation 1,470 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).