Belvidere weather in December

In December, Belvidere sees average daytime highs of 34°F and overnight lows near 21°F, with 2.1 in of precipitation across 7.8 wet days and about 9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 38°F in the first days to 31°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% 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 Belvidere's 11th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Belvidere's year-round climate.

Daytime high
34°
10th warmest
Overnight low
21°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
2.1 in
7.8 wet days
Daylight
8 h 54 min
7:24 AM – 4:19 PM
Cloud cover
69%
11th clearest
Wind
9 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
1.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Belvidere is city in Illinois, United States.

Density
788/km²
people per km²
Founded
1835

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 38°F in the first days to 31°F by the end.

A typical December day in Belvidere reaches about 34°F in the afternoon and slips back to 21°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°F and 48°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 12°F cooler than November and about 5°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13926
23825
33825
43724
53724
63724
73623
83623
93522
103522
113522
123522
133421
143421
153421
163321
173321
183320
193320
203320
213320
223320
233220
243220
253219
263219
273219
283219
293119
303119
313118

How December really feels in Belvidere

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 31 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
31
25 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Belvidere weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 15°1.97.75.89.30.0
Feb33° / 19°1.87.25.110.30.0
Mar45° / 29°2.59.43.311.61.2
Apr58° / 39°4.212113.13.9
May69° / 50°4.412.5014.45.9
Jun78° / 60°3.911.70156.4
Jul82° / 64°3.410.2014.86.4
Aug80° / 62°3.49.7013.76.7
Sep73° / 54°3.28.6012.37.0
Oct60° / 42°3.08.80.110.85.0
Nov46° / 31°2.47.91.89.61.3
Dec34° / 21°2.17.84.890.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 66%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23565
33565
43664
53565
63664
73664
83664
93664
103664
113664
123565
133565
143565
153565
163466
173466
183367
193367
203268
213268
223268
233268
243268
253268
263268
273268
283268
293169
303169
313169

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Belvidere gets around 2.1 in of rain and snow over 7.8 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 25% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13014
23014
33015
42915
52915
62916
72816
82816
92816
102716
112715
122615
132615
142515
152515
162414
172414
182414
192314
202314
212314
222314
232314
242214
252314
262315
272315
282315
292315
302315
312316

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 (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in December

Winds average 9 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light 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 7:11 AM to 7:30 AM, and sunset from 4:19 PM to 4:27 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.17:114:19
29.17:124:19
39.17:134:19
49.17:144:19
59.17:154:19
69.07:164:18
79.07:174:18
89.07:184:18
99.07:184:18
109.07:194:18
119.07:204:18
129.07:214:19
138.97:224:19
148.97:224:19
158.97:234:19
168.97:244:19
178.97:244:20
188.97:254:20
198.97:264:20
208.97:264:21
218.97:274:21
228.97:274:22
238.97:284:22
248.97:284:23
258.97:284:23
268.97:294:24
278.97:294:24
288.97:294:25
298.97:304:26
308.97:304:26
318.97:304:27

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 6.29 kWh/m² in June 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
61.7Dim
71.7Dim
81.7Dim
91.7Dim
101.7Dim
111.7Dim
121.6Dim
131.6Dim
141.6Dim
151.6Dim
161.6Dim
171.6Dim
181.6Dim
191.6Dim
201.6Dim
211.6Dim
221.6Dim
231.6Dim
241.6Dim
251.6Dim
261.6Dim
271.6Dim
281.6Dim
291.6Dim
301.6Dim
311.7Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Belvidere?

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
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Belvidere.

What to pack for Belvidere in December

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

In December, Belvidere sees daytime highs around 34°F and nights near 21°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Belvidere 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 Belvidere peaks around June 19 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 19UV 9Dec 20UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Belvidere 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 Belvidere is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJul 1817 µg/m³Oct 229 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov10Good
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Belvidere?

Belvidere sits at 42.3°N, 88.8°W, 781 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Machesney Park, 11 mi away.

Topography around Belvidere

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Belvidere has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 131 ft around an average of 784 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 325 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 679 ft.

The land around Belvidere is covered by cropland (27%), artificial surfaces (25%) and grassland (24%) within 2 miles, cropland (62%) within 10 miles, and cropland (60%) and trees (20%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
131 ft
10 miles
325 ft
50 miles
679 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Machesney Park 11 mi · Loves Park 12 mi · Rockford 13 mi · Beloit 19 mi · Woodstock 21 mi · Sycamore 21 mi · Huntley 22 mi · DeKalb 24 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 Belvidere (42.2639°, -88.8443°, elevation 781 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. 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).