Waukesha weather in December

In December, Waukesha sees average daytime highs of 33°F and overnight lows near 21°F, with 2.0 in of precipitation across 7.8 wet days and about 8.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 10th-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 23% 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 Waukesha's 11th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Waukesha's year-round climate.

Daytime high
33°
10th warmest
Overnight low
21°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
2.0 in
7.8 wet days
Daylight
8 h 48 min
7:24 AM – 4:14 PM
Cloud cover
69%
11th clearest
Wind
9 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
1.55 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

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

Density
1,109/km²
people per km²
Founded
1839

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 Waukesha reaches about 33°F in the afternoon and slips back to 21°F overnight — a 12°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°F and 46°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)
13826
23825
33725
43724
53624
63624
73523
83523
93522
103422
113422
123422
133422
143321
153321
163321
173321
183320
193220
203220
213220
223220
233220
243119
253119
263119
273119
283119
293118
303118
313018

How December really feels in Waukesha

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
25 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Waukesha 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
Jan28° / 15°1.88.36.89.20.0
Feb32° / 18°1.775.610.20.0
Mar43° / 28°2.39.34.111.60.8
Apr55° / 38°4.012.11.713.13.4
May67° / 49°3.811.7014.45.8
Jun77° / 59°3.811.2015.16.5
Jul81° / 64°3.410.1014.86.5
Aug79° / 62°3.610.3013.86.7
Sep72° / 54°3.08.7012.36.9
Oct59° / 43°2.98.90.310.84.7
Nov45° / 32°2.28.11.99.51.1
Dec33° / 21°2.07.85.18.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 67%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23565
33565
43565
53565
63466
73565
83565
93565
103565
113565
123565
133565
143466
153466
163367
173367
183367
193268
203367
213268
223268
233268
243268
253367
263367
273367
283268
293268
303268
313169

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Waukesha gets around 2.0 in of rain and snow over 7.8 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 26% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12914
22914
32915
42916
52816
62816
72716
82717
92616
102616
112616
122516
132516
142516
152516
162515
172515
182415
192415
202415
212415
222415
232415
242416
252416
262416
272417
282417
292517
302517
312518

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 9 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 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
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light 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 7:11 AM to 7:30 AM, and sunset from 4:14 PM to 4:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:114:14
29.07:124:14
39.07:134:14
49.07:144:14
59.07:154:14
69.07:164:13
78.97:174:13
88.97:184:13
98.97:194:13
108.97:194:13
118.97:204:13
128.97:214:14
138.97:224:14
148.97:234:14
158.87:234:14
168.87:244:14
178.87:254:15
188.87:254:15
198.87:264:15
208.87:264:16
218.87:274:16
228.87:274:16
238.87:284:17
248.87:284:17
258.87:294:18
268.87:294:19
278.87:294:19
288.87:304:20
298.87:304:21
308.97:304:21
318.97:304:22

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 6.36 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
121.6Dim
131.6Dim
141.5Dim
151.5Dim
161.5Dim
171.5Dim
181.5Dim
191.5Dim
201.5Dim
211.5Dim
221.5Dim
231.5Dim
241.5Dim
251.5Dim
261.5Dim
271.5Dim
281.5Dim
291.6Dim
301.6Dim
311.6Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Waukesha?

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 Waukesha.

What to pack for Waukesha in December

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

In December, Waukesha sees daytime highs around 33°F and nights near 21°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near Waukesha in December

The nearest coast averages about 41°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 20 mi away) is warmest in August at about 70°F and coldest in March near 36°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 29 to Aug 30 — about 1.1 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan38Bracing
Feb36Bracing
Mar36Bracing
Apr38Bracing
May42Bracing
Jun54Bracing
Jul67Cool
Aug70Refreshing
Sep66Cool
Oct56Bracing
Nov46Bracing
Dec41Bracing

UV index in Waukesha 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 Waukesha peaks around June 20 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 20UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Waukesha 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 Waukesha is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJul 1616 µg/m³Oct 239 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Waukesha?

Waukesha sits at 43.0°N, 88.2°W, 814 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is New Berlin, 6.8 mi away.

Topography around Waukesha

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Waukesha has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 285 ft around an average of 883 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 561 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 846 ft.

The land around Waukesha is covered by artificial surfaces (49%) and trees (33%) within 2 miles, trees (46%) and grassland (28%) within 10 miles, and cropland (34%), water (27%) and trees (21%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
285 ft
10 miles
561 ft
50 miles
846 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: New Berlin 6.8 mi · Brookfield 7.5 mi · Muskego 8.7 mi · West Allis 11 mi · Greenfield 12 mi · Wauwatosa 12 mi · Menomonee Falls 13 mi · Franklin 13 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 Waukesha (43.0117°, -88.2315°, elevation 814 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).