Waterford weather in December

In December, Waterford sees average daytime highs of 35°F and overnight lows near 24°F, with 2.2 in of precipitation across 9.6 wet days and about 8.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 39°F in the first days to 33°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Waterford's 11th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Waterford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
35°
10th warmest
Overnight low
24°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
2.2 in
9.6 wet days
Daylight
8 h 54 min
8:04 AM – 4:56 PM
Cloud cover
78%
11th clearest
Wind
9 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
1.38 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Waterford is charter township in Oakland county, Michigan, United States.

Founded
1834

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 39°F in the first days to 33°F by the end.

A typical December day in Waterford reaches about 35°F in the afternoon and slips back to 24°F overnight — a 11°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°F and 48°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 11°F cooler than November and about 5°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14029
23929
33928
43828
53827
63827
73727
83726
93726
103626
113625
123625
133525
143525
153524
163524
173524
183424
193424
203423
213423
223423
233323
243323
253322
263322
273322
283322
293322
303321
313221

How December really feels in Waterford

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
12 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Waterford weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 18°2.39.87.49.20.0
Feb33° / 19°2.086.510.30.0
Mar44° / 27°2.39.64.111.60.8
Apr57° / 38°3.6121.813.13.7
May68° / 49°3.712.4014.45.8
Jun77° / 59°3.711015.16.5
Jul81° / 63°3.111.2014.86.3
Aug79° / 62°3.110.5013.76.6
Sep72° / 54°2.99.3012.36.8
Oct59° / 43°2.910.40.310.84.5
Nov46° / 33°2.69.229.61.2
Dec35° / 24°2.29.65.98.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 8% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 80%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12080
22080
32080
42080
52179
62179
72179
82080
91981
101981
112080
122080
132080
142080
152080
162179
172179
182080
192080
202179
212080
222080
232080
242080
252179
262179
272080
282080
292080
302080
312080

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Waterford gets around 2.2 in of rain and snow over 9.6 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 32% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13415
23416
33417
43317
53318
63318
73318
83219
93219
103219
113219
123219
133219
143219
153219
163219
173219
183219
193119
203119
213119
223119
233019
243019
253019
263019
273019
283119
293119
303120
313120

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 (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
5991
6991
7991
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in December

Winds average 9 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 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
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 06 min at the start of December to 8 h 54 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 7:51 AM to 8:10 AM, and sunset from 4:56 PM to 5:04 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:514:56
29.17:524:56
39.17:534:56
49.07:544:56
59.07:554:55
69.07:564:55
79.07:564:55
89.07:574:55
98.97:584:55
108.97:594:55
118.98:004:55
128.98:014:55
138.98:014:55
148.98:024:56
158.98:034:56
168.98:044:56
178.98:044:56
188.98:054:57
198.98:054:57
208.98:064:57
218.98:064:58
228.98:074:58
238.98:074:59
248.98:084:59
258.98:085:00
268.98:095:00
278.98:095:01
288.98:095:02
298.98:095:02
308.98:105:03
318.98:105:04

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.38 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.38 kWh/m² to a high of 6.27 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.38 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.5Dim
21.5Dim
31.4Dim
41.4Dim
51.4Dim
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
281.4Dim
291.4Dim
301.4Dim
311.4Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Waterford?

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 Waterford.

What to pack for Waterford in December

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

In December, Waterford sees daytime highs around 35°F and nights near 24°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Waterford in December

The nearest coast averages about 39°F in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 28 mi away) is warmest in August at about 73°F and coldest in February near 33°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 2 to Sep 15 — about 2.5 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan34Bracing
Feb33Bracing
Mar34Bracing
Apr41Bracing
May52Bracing
Jun64Cool
Jul72Refreshing
Aug73Refreshing
Sep68Refreshing
Oct57Bracing
Nov47Bracing
Dec39Bracing

UV index in Waterford 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 Waterford peaks around June 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 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 20UV 9Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Waterford in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Waterford is worst in July — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1415 µg/m³Oct 238 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb12Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct8Good
Nov9Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Waterford?

Waterford sits at 42.7°N, 83.4°W, 965 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Pontiac, 7.5 mi away.

Topography around Waterford

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Waterford has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 207 ft around an average of 991 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 436 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 915 ft.

The land around Waterford is covered by trees (53%) within 2 miles, trees (63%) within 10 miles, and trees (41%) and cropland (28%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
207 ft
10 miles
436 ft
50 miles
915 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Pontiac 7.5 mi · West Bloomfield Township 8.7 mi · Auburn Hills 9.3 mi · Rochester Hills 14 mi · Birmingham 14 mi · Farmington Hills 14 mi · Troy 15 mi · Novi 15 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 Waterford (42.693°, -83.4118°, elevation 965 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).