High Peak weather in December

In December, High Peak sees average daytime highs of 6°C and overnight lows near 2°C, with 88 mm of precipitation across 14.4 wet days and about 7.3 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 6°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 13% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 7 h 36 min at the start of December to 7 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is High Peak's 7th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see High Peak's year-round climate.

Daytime high
11th warmest
Overnight low
3rd coldest
Precipitation
88 mm
14.4 wet days
Daylight
7 h 18 min
8:25 AM – 3:42 PM
Cloud cover
75%
7th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
0.54 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.3
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 6°C through the month.

A typical December day in High Peak reaches about 6°C in the afternoon and slips back to 2°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 1°C and 10°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and on par with January.

-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
172
272
372
462
562
662
762
862
962
1062
1162
1262
1362
1462
1562
1662
1762
1862
1962
2062
2151
2251
2351
2451
2551
2651
2751
2851
2951
3051
3151

How December really feels in High Peak

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

High Peak weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 8014.22.97.80.2
Feb / 7112.64.19.40.3
Mar / 7113.22.611.51.3
Apr11° / 7313.70.813.72.4
May14° / 7413.4015.63.6
Jun17° / 9114.7016.64.5
Jul19° / 11°9015.1016.25.2
Aug18° / 11°9114.7014.65.1
Sep16° / 7511.9012.54.3
Oct12° / 8613.70.110.32.8
Nov / 8113.80.88.41.3
Dec / 8814.437.30.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 13% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 74%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12575
22674
32773
42773
52872
62872
72872
82872
92872
102773
112872
122872
132773
142773
152674
162674
172575
182575
192575
202575
212476
222575
232575
242575
252575
262575
272575
282674
292674
302674
312674

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

High Peak gets around 88 mm of rain and snow over 14.4 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 46% and peaks near 47% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1467
2468
3468
4468
5468
6468
7469
8469
9469
10469
11468
12468
13468
14468
15468
16468
17468
18468
19468
20469
21469
22469
23469
244610
254710
264710
274710
284710
294710
304710
314710

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 18 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
217light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 7 h 36 min at the start of December to 7 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:08 AM to 8:31 AM, and sunset from 3:46 PM to 3:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
17.68:083:46
27.68:103:45
37.68:113:45
47.58:123:44
57.58:143:44
67.58:153:43
77.48:163:43
87.48:173:43
97.48:193:42
107.48:203:42
117.48:213:42
127.38:223:42
137.38:233:42
147.38:243:42
157.38:243:42
167.38:253:42
177.38:263:42
187.38:273:42
197.38:273:43
207.28:283:43
217.28:293:43
227.28:293:44
237.28:293:44
247.28:303:45
257.38:303:45
267.38:303:46
277.38:313:47
287.38:313:47
297.38:313:48
307.38:313:49
317.38:313:50

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.54 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.54 kWh/m² to a high of 4.84 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.54 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.6Dim
20.6Dim
30.6Dim
40.6Dim
50.6Dim
60.6Dim
70.6Dim
80.6Dim
90.6Dim
100.6Dim
110.6Dim
120.5Dim
130.5Dim
140.5Dim
150.5Dim
160.5Dim
170.5Dim
180.5Dim
190.5Dim
200.5Dim
210.5Dim
220.5Dim
230.5Dim
240.5Dim
250.5Dim
260.5Dim
270.5Dim
280.5Dim
290.5Dim
300.5Dim
310.5Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit High Peak?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.3
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 High Peak.

What to pack for High Peak in December

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

In December, High Peak sees daytime highs around 6°C and nights near 2°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: a heavy coat. About 14 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara heavy coat

UV index in High Peak 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 High Peak peaks around August 12 at about 6 (high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. 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 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowAug 12UV 6Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May6High
Jun6High
Jul6High
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct2Low
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is High Peak?

High Peak sits at 53.4°N, 1.8°W, 335 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is New Mills, 10 km away.

Topography around High Peak

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around High Peak has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 416 m around an average of 449 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 564 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 649 m.

The land around High Peak is covered by grassland (95%) within 3 km, grassland (78%) within 16 km, and grassland (47%) and cropland (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
416 m
16 km
564 m
80 km
649 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: New Mills 10 km · Glossop 11 km · Buxton 13 km · Hyde 18 km · Hazel Grove 18 km · Bredbury 19 km · Stalybridge 19 km · Fulwood 20 km

United Kingdom travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 89% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$57,602
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
3.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 60%none 26%Muslim 4%other 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 High Peak (53.368°, -1.8454°, elevation 335 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. 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).