Wauwatosa weather in December

In December, Wauwatosa sees average daytime highs of 34°F and overnight lows near 24°F, with 2.2 in of precipitation across 8.5 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 38°F in the first days to 31°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% 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 Wauwatosa's 11th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wauwatosa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
34°
10th warmest
Overnight low
24°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
2.2 in
8.5 wet days
Daylight
8 h 48 min
7:23 AM – 4:13 PM
Cloud cover
70%
11th clearest
Wind
11 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
1.49 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Wauwatosa is city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States.

Density
1,388/km²
people per km²

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 38°F in the first days to 31°F by the end.

A typical December day in Wauwatosa reaches about 34°F in the afternoon and slips back to 24°F overnight — a 10°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°F and 45°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)
13828
23828
33828
43727
53727
63626
73626
83626
93525
103525
113525
123524
133424
143424
153424
163424
173324
183323
193323
203323
213323
223323
233222
243222
253222
263222
273222
283121
293121
303121
313120

How December really feels in Wauwatosa

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
20 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Wauwatosa 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
Jan29° / 17°2.08.96.89.20.0
Feb31° / 19°1.975.510.20.0
Mar40° / 28°2.49.54.111.60.2
Apr50° / 38°4.111.91.713.12.2
May62° / 48°3.611.6014.44.9
Jun73° / 60°3.510.8015.16.6
Jul79° / 66°3.210.1014.96.7
Aug77° / 65°3.610.7013.86.8
Sep71° / 58°3.09.2012.36.7
Oct58° / 46°3.19.10.210.84.4
Nov45° / 34°2.48.61.79.51.0
Dec34° / 24°2.28.55.48.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% 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 69%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13169
23268
33268
43268
53367
63367
73367
83367
93367
103367
113367
123169
133169
143169
153169
163268
173169
183169
193169
203070
213070
223169
233169
243169
253070
263070
273070
283070
293070
303070
312971

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Wauwatosa gets around 2.2 in of rain and snow over 8.5 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 28% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13114
23115
33116
43016
53017
63017
73017
82917
92917
102917
112817
122817
132816
142816
152716
162716
172716
182715
192615
202615
212616
222616
232616
242617
252617
262617
272617
282718
292718
302718
312718

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 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 7:10 AM to 7:29 AM, and sunset from 4:13 PM to 4:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:104:13
29.07:114:13
39.07:124:13
49.07:134:13
59.07:144:13
69.07:154:12
78.97:164:12
88.97:174:12
98.97:184:12
108.97:194:12
118.97:194:12
128.97:204:12
138.97:214:13
148.97:224:13
158.87:224:13
168.87:234:13
178.87:244:14
188.87:244:14
198.87:254:14
208.87:264:15
218.87:264:15
228.87:274:15
238.87:274:16
248.87:274:16
258.87:284:17
268.87:284:18
278.87:284:18
288.87:294:19
298.87:294:20
308.97:294:20
318.97:294:21

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.49 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.49 kWh/m² to a high of 6.43 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.49 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
61.5Dim
71.5Dim
81.5Dim
91.5Dim
101.5Dim
111.5Dim
121.5Dim
131.5Dim
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
291.5Dim
301.5Dim
311.5Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Wauwatosa?

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 Wauwatosa.

What to pack for Wauwatosa in December

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

In December, Wauwatosa sees daytime highs around 34°F and nights near 24°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Wauwatosa 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 9 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 Wauwatosa 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 Wauwatosa 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
Aug7Very high
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Wauwatosa 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 Wauwatosa is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.8× the cleanest month (October, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1017 µg/m³Oct 249 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May16Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Wauwatosa?

Wauwatosa sits at 43.0°N, 88.0°W, 666 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is West Allis, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Wauwatosa

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Wauwatosa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 233 ft around an average of 728 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 604 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 846 ft.

The land around Wauwatosa is covered by artificial surfaces (51%) and trees (38%) within 2 miles, trees (35%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 10 miles, and water (40%) and cropland (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
233 ft
10 miles
604 ft
50 miles
846 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: West Allis 2.5 mi · Brookfield 5.0 mi · Milwaukee 5.0 mi · Greenfield 6.2 mi · New Berlin 7.5 mi · Cudahy 9.9 mi · Menomonee Falls 11 mi · Franklin 11 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 Wauwatosa (43.0495°, -88.0076°, elevation 666 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).