Traverse City weather in December

In December, Traverse City sees average daytime highs of 34°F and overnight lows near 26°F, with 2.4 in of precipitation across 13.3 wet days and about 8.7 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 37°F in the first days to 31°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% 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 Traverse City's 11th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Traverse City's year-round climate.

Daytime high
34°
10th warmest
Overnight low
26°
4th coldest
Precipitation
2.4 in
13.3 wet days
Daylight
8 h 36 min
8:20 AM – 4:57 PM
Cloud cover
86%
11th clearest
Wind
10 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.13 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Traverse City is city in and seat of Grand Traverse County, Michigan, United States.

Density
679/km²
people per km²
Founded
1891

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 31°F by the end.

A typical December day in Traverse City reaches about 34°F in the afternoon and slips back to 26°F overnight — a 8°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°F and 44°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 10°F cooler than November and about 6°F warmer than January.

10°20°30°40°50°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13829
23729
33729
43728
53628
63628
73528
83527
93527
103527
113426
123426
133426
143426
153426
163325
173325
183325
193325
203324
213324
223224
233224
243224
253223
263123
273123
283123
293122
303122
313022

How December really feels in Traverse City

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
10 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Traverse City weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 17°2.111.813.990.0
Feb28° / 16°1.68.58.810.10.0
Mar38° / 23°2.18.76.211.60.1
Apr50° / 34°3.2113.513.22.3
May62° / 45°3.210.90.214.65.1
Jun71° / 55°3.110015.36.6
Jul76° / 61°3.3110156.9
Aug75° / 60°3.310.6013.97.0
Sep69° / 53°3.211.6012.36.1
Oct56° / 43°3.7140.410.73.4
Nov43° / 34°2.813.36.69.40.6
Dec34° / 26°2.413.313.38.70.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 4% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 89%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11288
21387
31387
41387
51288
61288
71288
81387
91288
101288
111288
121288
131288
141288
151189
161189
171189
18991
191090
201090
211090
221090
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28892
29892
30991
31991

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Traverse City gets around 2.4 in of rain and snow over 13.3 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 43% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days, and about 13 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14637
24537
34538
44539
54440
64440
74441
84341
94342
104342
114242
124242
134242
144242
154242
164242
174243
184343
194343
204343
214343
224343
234343
244344
254344
264244
274244
284244
294245
304145
314145

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 8:06 AM to 8:26 AM, and sunset from 4:58 PM to 5:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.98:064:58
28.88:074:58
38.88:084:58
48.88:104:57
58.88:114:57
68.88:124:57
78.78:124:57
88.78:134:57
98.78:144:57
108.78:154:57
118.78:164:57
128.78:174:57
138.78:184:57
148.68:184:57
158.68:194:57
168.68:204:57
178.68:214:58
188.68:214:58
198.68:224:58
208.68:224:59
218.68:234:59
228.68:235:00
238.68:245:00
248.68:245:01
258.68:255:01
268.68:255:02
278.68:255:02
288.68:255:03
298.68:265:04
308.68:265:04
318.78:265:05

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.13 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.13 kWh/m² to a high of 6.49 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.13 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.2Dim
21.2Dim
31.2Dim
41.2Dim
51.2Dim
61.2Dim
71.2Dim
81.1Dim
91.1Dim
101.1Dim
111.1Dim
121.1Dim
131.1Dim
141.1Dim
151.1Dim
161.1Dim
171.1Dim
181.1Dim
191.1Dim
201.1Dim
211.1Dim
221.1Dim
231.1Dim
241.1Dim
251.1Dim
261.1Dim
271.1Dim
281.1Dim
291.2Dim
301.2Dim
311.2Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Traverse City?

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 Traverse City.

What to pack for Traverse City in December

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

In December, Traverse City sees daytime highs around 34°F and nights near 26°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Traverse City in December

The nearest coast averages about 42°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 68°F and coldest in March near 35°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan38Bracing
Feb36Bracing
Mar35Bracing
Apr37Bracing
May40Bracing
Jun50Bracing
Jul64Cool
Aug68Refreshing
Sep65Cool
Oct56Bracing
Nov48Bracing
Dec42Bracing

UV index in Traverse City 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 Traverse City 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 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 18UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Traverse City?

Traverse City sits at 44.8°N, 85.6°W, 597 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mackinac Island, 89 mi away.

Topography around Traverse City

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Traverse City has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 404 ft around an average of 627 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 679 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,224 ft.

The land around Traverse City is covered by water (33%), trees (32%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 2 miles, trees (48%), water (25%) and grassland (22%) within 10 miles, and trees (49%) and water (37%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
404 ft
10 miles
679 ft
50 miles
1,224 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Mackinac Island 89 mi · Mount Pleasant 91 mi · Midland 104 mi · Muskegon 110 mi · Manitowoc 111 mi · Norton Shores 115 mi · Bellevue 115 mi · Bay City 118 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 Traverse City (44.7631°, -85.6206°, elevation 597 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).