Detroit weather in December

December in Detroit: cold, a little rain, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Detroit🇺🇸 United States · Great Lakes & Midwest · City46
  1. 39Jan
  2. 49Feb
  3. 62Mar
  4. 72Apr
  5. 87May
  6. 84Jun
  7. 74Jul
  8. 78Aug
  9. 90Sep
  10. 77Oct
  11. 60Nov
  12. 46Dec

#11 of 12 months in Detroit · #1242 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 46/100 (tier F)

Days
5°C
Nights
-1°C
Wet days
10
Sun
4.5 h
Humidity
75%
Daylight
9 h
Detroit, United States
Photo: @coldbeer · Pexels

Traveller notes on Detroit in December

Other months in Detroit

Regulars call this a genuinely good pick within the city's shoulder season, specifically for sports fans since baseball, hockey, basketball and football overlap here this time of year. Our row backs the cooling, changeable read, 17.8C over 8.8C nights feeling 6C, with 77.4mm of rain across 9.2 days and a real 22.6 kph wind. Regulars are consistent this month is genuinely variable enough that checking the forecast starting about a week out is worth doing, since a run of highs in the low 50s Fahrenheit with lows still above freezing can shift meaningfully within that window. The record: humidity 72 percent, 7.5 hours of sun and one of the cleanest air readings in this project, AQI 37.
GoodMonthForBaseballHockeyAndFootball · October · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars call this a typically hot, humid summer month, low-to-mid 80s Fahrenheit by day and rarely much cooler, though occasionally pushing into the 90s - and specifically warn that a passing storm can drop the temperature by as much as 30 Fahrenheit degrees in half an hour, a swing worth packing a light jacket for even on an otherwise hot day. Our row backs the heat, 28.3C reading as a real 30C, over 19.2C nights, with 123.6mm of rain across 8.5 days - a real, humid-summer total rather than the occasional shower. Regulars pair the jacket advice with an umbrella, treating a sudden downpour as routine rather than exceptional for the season. The record: humidity 71 percent, 11.6 hours of sun, a 17.9 kph wind and AQI 52.
ThirtyDegreesInThirtyMinutesIfAStormHits · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
June opens the stretch regulars recommend here, June through September, and it is the month the city's outdoor half becomes usable - the riverwalk, Belle Isle, the market, a ballgame. Our row gives 27.1C reading as 28C over 16.8C nights at 67 percent humidity, which is warm without the August weight. Rain is 88.6mm across 7.7 days, so afternoon storms rather than drizzle, and a 20.5 kph wind keeps the riverfront fresher than the inland numbers suggest. Anyone continuing north should know the boards are clear that early June is still chilly past mid-Michigan. The record: a dew point of 13.4C, 12.1 hours of sun inside 15.2 of daylight, and AQI 66.
TheSeasonOpensHere · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
May in Detroit is the month regulars describe as either lovely or cool and rainy, with no way to know in advance - April and May are the two they call genuinely unpredictable in Michigan, and the advice that follows is to keep a plan that works indoors. One regular's figure of a mid-50s to 60F daily high reads low against our row's 21.8C average, and likely describes the start of the month rather than the end of it. What May reliably brings is baseball: the season is underway and a game at Comerica Park is the thing they suggest. It is also the wet end of spring here, 92.3mm across 10.7 days. The record: 11C nights that feel like 8C, a 21.5 kph wind and 10.3 hours of sun.
LovelyOrCoolAndRainy · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Year-round notes are on Detroit's overview. Add your own note from Detroit's card on the map.

Detroit climate normals — December

Daytime high5°C / 40°F🧥 cold
Nighttime low-1°C / 29°F
Feels like (high)0°C / 32°F
Rainfall69 mm / 2.7 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days10 days
Humidity75%💦 very humid
Dew point-3°C / 27°F
Sunshine4.5 h/day
Daylight9.1 h
Wind24 km/h / 15 mph
Snowfall16.8 cm / 6.6 in
Air quality (US AQI)38🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Detroit in December

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Peak crowdsChristmas and New Year, Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Detroit's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Toughest weatherDetroit's best weather comes in May, June and September — separate windows, not one continuous season.

December coincides with Deep winter and lake-effect snow.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Detroit in December

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Season

    Skating at Campus Martius

    20 Nov – 25 Feb · usuallyIce season

    The downtown square turns into a rink under the city tree from late November, and it is the anchor of what winter nightlife downtown has. Skate hire on site. Source ↗

  • Hazard

    Deep winter and lake-effect snow

    10 Dec – 1 Mar · usuallyExtreme cold

    Two months of grey, freezing days with the wind coming off the lakes and a snow event most weeks. Nothing shuts, but nothing outdoors is a plan either. Source ↗

  • Holiday

    Christmas and New Year

    24 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New YearClosuresCrowded

    Christmas Day and New Year's Day are federal holidays: on 25 December most shops, museums and many restaurants close, and airports stay busy through the week between as families travel. New Year's Eve fills bars and restaurants, many at set-menu prices. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Detroit — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Detroit?

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Detroit in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Detroit?
December in Detroit: cold, a little rain, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Detroit on SeasonMap's comfort score (46/100).
What is the weather like in Detroit in December?
In December, Detroit averages a daily high of 4.6°C and a low of -1.4°C, with about 69.1 mm of rain over roughly 9.6 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Detroit in December?
Detroit has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 38 in December.
Does it snow in Detroit in December?
Detroit sees roughly 16.8 cm of snowfall in December.

Within 300 km: Columbus' Zoo Wildlights around 20 Nov – 5 Jan, and Cleveland's Christmas and New Year on 24 Dec – 1 Jan.