Chitose weather in December

In December, Chitose sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -4°C, with 54 mm of precipitation across 8.1 wet days and about 8.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 4°C in the first days to 0°C 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 Chitose's 5th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chitose's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
-4°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
54 mm
8.1 wet days
Daylight
8 h 54 min
7:04 AM – 3:55 PM
Cloud cover
61%
5th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
1.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Chitose is city in Hokkaido, Japan.

Density
165/km²
people per km²
Founded
1958

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 0°C by the end.

A typical December day in Chitose reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -4°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -2°C and 6°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 3°C warmer than January.

-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
14-1
24-1
34-1
44-1
53-2
63-2
73-2
83-2
93-2
103-3
112-3
122-3
132-3
142-3
152-3
162-4
172-4
181-4
191-4
201-4
211-4
221-5
231-5
241-5
251-5
261-5
271-5
280-5
290-5
300-6
310-6

How December really feels in Chitose

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
7 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Chitose weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-1° / -7°366.379.20.0
Feb-0° / -7°346.26.710.30.0
Mar / -3°548.96.511.60.1
Apr / 7010.51.513.11.6
May13° / 9510.7014.43.6
Jun17° / 12°779.3015.15.3
Jul21° / 17°11611.9014.86.0
Aug23° / 19°16212.1013.76.3
Sep21° / 15°13712012.36.0
Oct15° / 919.70.110.84.7
Nov / 689.61.49.51.4
Dec / -4°548.16.88.90.0

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 28% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24753
34654
44753
54852
64951
74951
85050
95149
105149
115248
125248
135248
145347
155347
165347
175347
185347
195248
205248
215149
225149
235050
245050
255050
264951
275050
285050
295050
304951
315050

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Chitose gets around 54 mm of rain and snow over 8.1 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 28% on the wettest days, and about 7 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12814
22815
32715
42716
52717
62718
72718
82719
92719
102720
112720
122721
132721
142721
152721
162722
172622
182622
192623
202623
212624
222524
232524
242524
252524
262424
272424
282424
292324
302324
312224

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 13 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light 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 6:51 AM to 7:10 AM, and sunset from 3:56 PM to 4:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.16:513:56
29.16:523:55
39.06:533:55
49.06:543:55
59.06:553:55
69.06:563:55
79.06:573:54
88.96:573:54
98.96:583:54
108.96:593:54
118.97:003:55
128.97:013:55
138.97:023:55
148.97:023:55
158.97:033:55
168.97:043:55
178.97:043:56
188.97:053:56
198.87:063:56
208.87:063:57
218.87:073:57
228.87:073:58
238.87:083:58
248.87:083:59
258.87:083:59
268.97:094:00
278.97:094:00
288.97:094:01
298.97:104:02
308.97:104:02
318.97:104:03

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.65 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.65 kWh/m² to a high of 5.37 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 1.65 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.7Dim
21.7Dim
31.7Dim
41.7Dim
51.7Dim
61.6Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.6Dim
101.6Dim
111.6Dim
121.6Dim
131.6Dim
141.6Dim
151.6Dim
161.6Dim
171.7Dim
181.7Dim
191.7Dim
201.7Dim
211.7Dim
221.7Dim
231.7Dim
241.7Dim
251.7Dim
261.8Dim
271.8Dim
281.8Dim
291.8Dim
301.8Dim
311.8Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Chitose

In seasonPeak

In December, Chitose sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Chitose sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Chitose's rainy season runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Pacific typhoon
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Chitose?

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
7th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Chitose.

What to pack for Chitose in December

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

In December, Chitose sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -4°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Chitose in December

The nearest coast averages about 10°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 22 km away) is warmest in August at about 20°C and coldest in March near 3°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan6Bracing
Feb4Bracing
Mar3Bracing
Apr5Bracing
May8Bracing
Jun13Bracing
Jul17Cool
Aug20Refreshing
Sep20Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov13Bracing
Dec10Bracing

UV index in Chitose 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 Chitose peaks around August 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighHighVery highHighModerateLowAug 18UV 8Dec 19UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun6High
Jul5Moderate
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Chitose 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 Chitose is worst in April — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 1119 µg/m³Dec 158 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr19Moderate
May18Moderate
Jun13Moderate
Jul12Good
Aug10Good
Sep9Good
Oct11Good
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Chitose?

Chitose sits at 42.8°N, 141.7°E, 15 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Eniwa, 10 km away.

Topography around Chitose

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chitose has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 59 m around an average of 26 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 260 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,859 m.

The land around Chitose is covered by artificial surfaces (46%) and trees (36%) within 3 km, trees (58%) and cropland (22%) within 16 km, and trees (58%) and water (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
59 m
16 km
260 m
80 km
1,859 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
December weather nearby: Eniwa 10 km · Kitahiroshima 19 km · Tomakomai 21 km · Ebetsu 33 km · Sapporo 37 km · Shiraoi 39 km · Iwamizawa 43 km · Tōbetsu 46 km

Japan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
100 V · 50 / 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 65% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$35,951
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 446
Religion
Shintoism 49%Buddhism 46%other 4%Christianity 1%

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 Chitose (42.8194°, 141.6522°, elevation 15 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).