Bay City weather in December

In December, Bay City sees average daytime highs of 66°F and overnight lows near 48°F, with 3.4 in of precipitation across 8.9 wet days and about 10.2 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 68°F in the first days to 64°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 18 min at the start of December to 10 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Bay City's 11th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bay City's year-round climate.

Daytime high
66°
11th warmest
Overnight low
48°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
3.4 in
8.9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
7:15 AM – 5:25 PM
Cloud cover
59%
11th clearest
Wind
8 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
2.72 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Bay City is city in and the county seat of Matagorda County, Texas, United States.

Density
772/km²
people per km²

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 68°F in the first days to 64°F by the end.

A typical December day in Bay City reaches about 66°F in the afternoon and slips back to 48°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 77°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 7°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16951
26951
36850
46850
56850
66750
76750
86749
96749
106749
116749
126749
136649
146649
156648
166648
176648
186648
196548
206548
216548
226547
236547
246547
256547
266447
276447
286447
296447
306447
316447

How December really feels in Bay City

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Bay City weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan64° / 47°3.59.310.46.0
Feb68° / 50°2.68.3116.4
Mar73° / 56°3.27.711.87.1
Apr79° / 62°3.38.512.76.9
May85° / 70°3.49.513.45.3
Jun90° / 75°4.012.213.83.8
Jul91° / 76°3.312.313.73.4
Aug92° / 76°3.612.4133.2
Sep88° / 72°4.513.112.24.2
Oct82° / 63°3.89.211.36.5
Nov73° / 55°3.58.710.67.1
Dec66° / 48°3.48.910.26.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 53%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
24852
34852
44852
54753
64654
74654
84753
94753
104654
114654
124852
134852
144951
154951
164951
174951
184951
195050
205050
214852
224852
234852
244753
254753
264654
274654
284456
294555
304456
314357

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Bay City gets around 3.4 in of rain and snow over 8.9 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 29% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
230
330
430
530
629
729
829
929
1029
1129
1229
1329
1429
1529
1629
1729
1829
1929
2029
2129
2229
2329
2429
2529
2628
2728
2828
2928
3027
3127

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 65% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 13% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1571312162
2581311162
3581311162
4591311161
5611310151
6601410151
7601410151
8611410141
9611410141
10631310131
11631310131
12641310121
13641310121
14641310121
15661210111
16661210111
17651211111
18661211101
19681110101
20681110101
2169111091
2270101091
2370101091
2470101091
2570101091
2670101091
2770101091
2871101081
2971101081
307210981
317210981

Wind in December

Winds average 8 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 18 min at the start of December to 10 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:05 AM to 7:22 AM, and sunset from 5:22 PM to 5:32 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.37:055:22
210.37:065:22
310.37:075:22
410.27:075:22
510.27:085:22
610.27:095:22
710.27:105:23
810.27:105:23
910.27:115:23
1010.27:125:23
1110.27:125:23
1210.27:135:24
1310.27:135:24
1410.27:145:24
1510.27:155:24
1610.27:155:25
1710.27:165:25
1810.27:165:26
1910.27:175:26
2010.17:175:26
2110.17:185:27
2210.17:185:27
2310.17:195:28
2410.17:195:28
2510.27:205:29
2610.27:205:29
2710.27:215:30
2810.27:215:30
2910.27:215:31
3010.27:225:32
3110.27:225:32

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.72 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.72 kWh/m² to a high of 6.3 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 2.72 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.9Moderate
22.8Moderate
32.8Moderate
42.8Moderate
52.8Moderate
62.8Moderate
72.8Moderate
82.7Moderate
92.7Moderate
102.7Moderate
112.7Moderate
122.7Moderate
132.7Moderate
142.7Moderate
152.7Moderate
162.7Moderate
172.7Moderate
182.7Moderate
192.7Moderate
202.7Moderate
212.7Moderate
222.7Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.7Moderate
302.7Moderate
312.8Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Bay City

In seasonPeak

None of Bay City's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Bay City sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Bay City?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
2.7
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Bay City for sightseeing.

What to pack for Bay City in December

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

In December, Bay City sees daytime highs around 66°F and nights near 48°F. Worth packing: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near Bay City in December

The nearest coast averages about 66°F 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 25 mi away) is warmest in August at about 85°F and coldest in February near 62°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Apr 1 to Dec 5 — about 8.2 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°70°80°90°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan62Cool
Feb62Cool
Mar65Cool
Apr71Refreshing
May77Warm
Jun83Tropical
Jul85Tropical
Aug85Tropical
Sep84Tropical
Oct79Warm
Nov72Refreshing
Dec66Cool

UV index in Bay City in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bay City peaks around August 11 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateAug 11UV 11Dec 21UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb6High
Mar7High
Apr10Very high
May10Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct7High
Nov5High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Bay City 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 Bay City is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.9× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1520 µg/m³Nov 167 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb8Good
Mar10Good
Apr11Good
May14Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bay City?

Bay City sits at 29.0°N, 96.0°W, 52 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Lake Jackson, 32 mi away.

Topography around Bay City

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Bay City.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bay City has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 66 ft around an average of 52 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 112 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 249 ft.

The land around Bay City is covered by trees (38%) and grassland (38%) within 2 miles, grassland (47%), cropland (28%) and trees (23%) within 10 miles, and water (28%), grassland (27%) and trees (20%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
66 ft
10 miles
112 ft
50 miles
249 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
December weather nearby: Lake Jackson 32 mi · Angleton 35 mi · Rosenberg 41 mi · New Territory 46 mi · Pecan Grove 47 mi · Sugar Land 48 mi · Fresno 50 mi · Stafford 50 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 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 Bay City (28.9828°, -95.9694°, elevation 52 ft), 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).