Hamilton weather in December

In December, Hamilton sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -3°C, with 71 mm of precipitation across 10.5 wet days and about 8.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 4°C in the first days to 1°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 hours at the start of December to 8 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Hamilton's 11th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hamilton's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
-3°
4th coldest
Precipitation
71 mm
10.5 wet days
Daylight
8 h 48 min
7:51 AM – 4:40 PM
Cloud cover
79%
11th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.32 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Hamilton is city in Ontario, Canada.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 8.5 µg/m³ · 2019
Founded
1846

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 4°C in the first days to 1°C by the end.

A typical December day in Hamilton reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -3°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -4°C and 8°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and about 3°C warmer than January.

-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
150
25-1
34-1
44-1
54-1
64-1
74-2
83-2
93-2
103-2
113-2
123-2
133-3
143-3
152-3
162-3
172-3
182-3
192-3
202-3
212-4
222-4
232-4
242-4
251-4
261-4
271-4
281-4
291-4
301-5
311-5

How December really feels in Hamilton

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
4 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Hamilton weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-1° / -7°7111.48.19.20.0
Feb / -7°568.56.410.20.0
Mar / -3°699.94.511.60.2
Apr11° / 9411.51.813.22.4
May17° / 8311.2014.55.1
Jun22° / 15°8611.6015.16.5
Jul26° / 18°7710014.96.8
Aug25° / 18°699.4013.87.0
Sep21° / 14°779.3012.36.7
Oct15° / 8511010.84.2
Nov / 7910.32.19.51.2
Dec / -3°7110.55.88.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 81%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12278
22278
32278
42278
52278
62278
72278
82278
92179
102179
112179
122179
132179
142179
152080
162080
172080
181981
191981
201981
211981
221981
231783
241684
251684
261783
271783
281783
291783
301684
311585

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Hamilton gets around 71 mm of rain and snow over 10.5 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 35% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13815
23715
33716
43717
53618
63618
73619
83520
93520
103520
113420
123420
133420
143420
153420
163420
173419
183419
193319
203318
213318
223318
233318
243318
253318
263418
273419
283519
293520
303621
313721

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 16 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 17 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2017light breeze
2117light breeze
2217light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2617light breeze
2717light breeze
2817light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 hours at the start of December to 8 h 48 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 7:38 AM to 7:57 AM, and sunset from 4:40 PM to 4:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.07:384:40
29.07:394:40
39.07:404:40
49.07:414:39
59.07:424:39
68.97:434:39
78.97:444:39
88.97:454:39
98.97:464:39
108.97:474:39
118.97:484:39
128.87:484:39
138.87:494:39
148.87:504:39
158.87:514:40
168.87:514:40
178.87:524:40
188.87:534:40
198.87:534:41
208.87:544:41
218.87:544:42
228.87:554:42
238.87:554:43
248.87:564:43
258.87:564:44
268.87:564:44
278.87:574:45
288.87:574:46
298.87:574:46
308.87:574:47
318.87:574:48

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.32 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.32 kWh/m² to a high of 6.31 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.32 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.4Dim
21.4Dim
31.4Dim
41.4Dim
51.4Dim
61.4Dim
71.4Dim
81.4Dim
91.3Dim
101.3Dim
111.3Dim
121.3Dim
131.3Dim
141.3Dim
151.3Dim
161.3Dim
171.3Dim
181.3Dim
191.3Dim
201.3Dim
211.3Dim
221.3Dim
231.3Dim
241.3Dim
251.3Dim
261.3Dim
271.3Dim
281.3Dim
291.3Dim
301.3Dim
311.3Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Hamilton?

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 Hamilton.

What to pack for Hamilton in December

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

In December, Hamilton sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -3°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Hamilton in December

The nearest coast averages about 5°C 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 23 km away) is warmest in August at about 21°C and coldest in February near 3°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 22 to Sep 1 — about 1.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan4Bracing
Feb3Bracing
Mar3Bracing
Apr4Bracing
May8Bracing
Jun15Cool
Jul20Cool
Aug21Refreshing
Sep19Cool
Oct13Bracing
Nov8Bracing
Dec5Bracing

UV index in Hamilton 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 Hamilton peaks around June 22 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 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 22UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May6High
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Hamilton?

Hamilton sits at 43.3°N, 79.8°W, 95 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is Stoney Creek, 8.0 km away.

Topography around Hamilton

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Hamilton.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Hamilton has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 144 m around an average of 125 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 235 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 457 m.

The land around Hamilton is covered by artificial surfaces (66%) and trees (25%) within 3 km, trees (28%) and cropland (20%) within 16 km, and cropland (31%), water (29%) and trees (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
144 m
16 km
235 m
80 km
457 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Stoney Creek 8.0 km · Waterdown 10 km · Ancaster 12 km · Burlington 15 km · Grimsby 24 km · Oakville 26 km · Milton 30 km · Brantford 36 km

Canada travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 83% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$55,698
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 53%none 35%Muslim 5%Hindu 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 Hamilton (43.2501°, -79.8496°, elevation 95 m), 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).