By Chuck Otte
K-State Extension, County Extension Agent, Retired
December 2025 Junction City Area Weather Summary
In spite of a couple of cold snaps, the Junction City area had an unusually mild December. In fact it was the sixth warmest December on record. While precipitation for the month was less than average, it was still enough to push the year end total over the annual average!
The average daily high in December was 49.9, 7.4 degrees above normal. The average overnight low was 27.1, 4.2 degrees above normal. This resulted in a monthly mean temperature of 38.5, 5.8 degrees above normal. The highest temperature for the month was 67 degrees on the 23rd. The coldest temperature was the morning low of 5 on the 14th. The warmest December was in 2021 with a monthly mean temperature of 42.6. The coldest December on record was the brutal December of 1983 with a monthly mean temperature of 13.6 degrees. That was the December that we had three consecutive days where the temperature never got above 0 and overnight lows got as low as -18 degrees!
There were four temperature records set in December and one that was tied. The overnight low of 40 on the 17th tied the record high low temperature for that date, which was first set in 1957. The high of 63 on the 21st broke the old record high for that date of 61 set in 1965. The following were all new record high low temperatures: 44 on the 24th broke the old record of 43 set in 1955, 42 on the 24th broke the old record of 39 set in 1954 and again in 2018, and the low of 45 on the 27th broke the old record of 42 set in 1957 and again in 2003.
Measurable snowfall (at least one tenth of an inch) was recorded on three days in December but only amounted to a total of one inch. Average for December snowfall is 3.7 inches. Snowfall season to date we have had 1.2 inches, well below the long-term average of 4.7 inches. Between the liquid in these three events and scattered rainfall events, the area managed 0.90 inches for the month, slightly below the long-term average of 1.17 inches.
Historically, January is our coldest month of the year. Average daily highs for January start the New Year around 38 degrees and by the end of the month have risen to 42. Overnight lows average 18 degrees on the 1st and barely increase through the month, ending up at 20 on the 31st. January is also our driest month of the year with an average of 0.73 inches of liquid precipitation. Historically January and February are our snowiest months of the year with 4.7 inches of snow expected each month.
Year End Weather Summary
For the Junction City area, 2025 will go down as warmer than average with about average precipitation. The average daily high for the year was 66.8, which is 1 degree above the average. Annual overnight low was 46.5 which is 2.5 degrees above average. This gave us an annual mean temperature of 56.6, 1.7 degrees above average.
The warmest year on record was 1954 with an annual mean temperature of 59.7. It should be noted, however, that three of the six warmest years on record have been in the past 13 years: 2012 was the second warmest, 2024 the third warmest and 2023 the sixth warmest. The coldest year on record was in 1979 with an annual temperature of 50.5 degrees.
The highest temperature for the year was 101 degrees on August 8th. This was also the only high temperature in 2025 of 100 degrees or higher. The coldest temperature for the year was -15 on the morning of January 21st. This was one of ten days during the year with below zero readings. This gave us an annual temperature range of 116 degrees, which is above the average of 110 degrees over the past 78 years.
Average annual precipitation for the area is 33.57 inches. Milford Lake Corps of Engineers Offices recorded a total of 34.17 inches for 2025, so just slightly above the 30-year average. Seven months in 2025 had below average precipitation, leaving the other five months to make up the deficit. June was our wettest month at 8.02 inches, 166% of normal. The driest month was February with only 0.19 inches, which was 17% of normal. Snowfall for 2025 (which stretches across parts of two snowfall seasons) was 19.5 inches which is just slightly over our long term average snowfall of 18.0 inches.