Watertown weather in December

In December, Watertown sees average daytime highs of 26°F and overnight lows near 13°F, with 0.9 in of precipitation across 5 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 31°F in the first days to 22°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 48 min at the start of December to 8 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Watertown's 12th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Watertown's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
10th warmest
Overnight low
13°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
0.9 in
5 wet days
Daylight
8 h 36 min
8:06 AM – 4:43 PM
Cloud cover
69%
12th clearest
Wind
11 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
1.56 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Watertown is city in and county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States.

Density
329/km²
people per km²
Founded
1879

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 31°F in the first days to 22°F by the end.

A typical December day in Watertown reaches about 26°F in the afternoon and slips back to 13°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 9°F and 41°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 13°F cooler than November and about 5°F warmer than January.

20°40°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13118
23117
33117
43017
53016
62916
72915
82915
92815
102814
112814
122714
132714
142713
152613
162613
172613
182612
192512
202512
212511
222411
232411
242411
252410
262310
272310
28239
29229
30228
31228

How December really feels in Watertown

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.

Watertown 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
Jan21° / 0.95.25.490.0
Feb25° / 10°0.84.64.610.10.0
Mar38° / 21°1.663.811.60.2
Apr53° / 33°2.89.5313.23.0
May66° / 46°3.411.40.114.65.7
Jun75° / 57°4.412.2015.36.5
Jul80° / 62°3.19.4015.16.9
Aug78° / 59°3.29.3013.97.1
Sep71° / 50°2.58012.37.0
Oct56° / 37°2.26.91.210.74.1
Nov40° / 24°1.353.69.40.4
Dec26° / 13°0.955.48.70.0

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
23862
33763
43763
53664
63664
73565
83466
93466
103367
113367
123367
133367
143268
153268
163268
173367
183367
193367
203367
213367
223466
233466
243466
253466
263466
273763
283763
293763
303763
313961

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Watertown gets around 0.9 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 (%)
11615
21515
31515
41515
51515
61516
71516
81516
91516
101516
111517
121617
131617
141618
151618
161718
171718
181719
191719
201719
211719
221719
231718
241718
251718
261718
271718
281718
291718
301717
311717

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 11 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 11 mph on the calmest days to 11 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
111light breeze
211light breeze
311light breeze
411light breeze
511light breeze
611light breeze
711light breeze
811light breeze
911light breeze
1011light breeze
1111light breeze
1211light breeze
1311light breeze
1411light breeze
1511light breeze
1611light breeze
1711light breeze
1811light breeze
1911light breeze
2011light breeze
2111light breeze
2211light breeze
2311light breeze
2411light breeze
2511light breeze
2611light breeze
2711light breeze
2811light breeze
2911light breeze
3011light breeze
3111light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 48 min at the start of December to 8 h 36 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 7:53 AM to 8:13 AM, and sunset from 4:44 PM to 4:51 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.87:534:44
28.87:544:43
38.87:554:43
48.87:564:43
58.87:574:43
68.77:584:42
78.77:594:42
88.78:004:42
98.78:014:42
108.78:024:42
118.78:034:42
128.68:034:42
138.68:044:42
148.68:054:42
158.68:064:43
168.68:064:43
178.68:074:43
188.68:084:43
198.68:084:44
208.68:094:44
218.68:094:45
228.68:104:45
238.68:104:46
248.68:114:46
258.68:114:47
268.68:114:47
278.68:124:48
288.68:124:49
298.68:124:49
308.68:124:50
318.68:134:51

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 6.64 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
11.7Dim
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
151.5Dim
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

Hazard calendar for Watertown

In seasonPeak

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

Watertown sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Watertown's rainy season runs April–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Atlantic hurricane
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Watertown?

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 Watertown.

What to pack for Watertown in December

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

In December, Watertown sees daytime highs around 26°F and nights near 13°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 5 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Watertown 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 Watertown peaks around June 19 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 highHighModerateLowJun 19UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May6High
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Watertown?

Watertown sits at 44.9°N, 97.1°W, 1,732 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Brookings, 43 mi away.

Topography around Watertown

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Watertown has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 115 ft around an average of 1,736 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 344 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,237 ft.

The land around Watertown is covered by grassland (38%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 2 miles, cropland (58%) and grassland (28%) within 10 miles, and cropland (62%) and grassland (29%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
115 ft
10 miles
344 ft
50 miles
1,237 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Brookings 43 mi · Aberdeen 78 mi · Mitchell 94 mi · Sioux Falls 96 mi · Willmar 103 mi · West Fargo 137 mi · Moorhead 137 mi · Fargo 137 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 Watertown (44.8994°, -97.1151°, elevation 1,732 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).