Bristol weather in December

In December, Bristol sees average daytime highs of 40°F and overnight lows near 26°F, with 4.3 in of precipitation across 10.2 wet days and about 9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 43°F in the first days to 37°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 12 min at the start of December to 9 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Bristol's 8th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bristol's year-round climate.

Daytime high
40°
10th warmest
Overnight low
26°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
4.3 in
10.2 wet days
Daylight
9 hours
7:18 AM – 4:18 PM
Cloud cover
61%
8th clearest
Wind
8 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
1.67 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.1
out of 10

Bristol is city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States.

Density
871/km²
people per km²
Founded
1785

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 43°F in the first days to 37°F by the end.

A typical December day in Bristol reaches about 40°F in the afternoon and slips back to 26°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°F and 53°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 10°F cooler than November and about 5°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14430
24430
34329
44329
54229
64228
74128
84128
94127
104027
114027
124027
133926
143926
153926
163926
173926
183926
193825
203825
213825
223825
233825
243825
253825
263824
273724
283724
293724
303724
313723

How December really feels in Bristol

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Bristol weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan35° / 20°3.69.56.39.30.0
Feb37° / 22°3.18.75.410.30.0
Mar45° / 29°4.311.14.511.71.1
Apr58° / 40°3.911.21.213.14.0
May68° / 49°3.811.6014.36.0
Jun77° / 59°4.511.90156.4
Jul82° / 64°4.311.2014.76.1
Aug80° / 63°4.611013.76.4
Sep73° / 55°4.39.2012.36.9
Oct61° / 44°4.49.50.210.95.2
Nov49° / 35°3.58.71.19.62.2
Dec40° / 26°4.310.24.890.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34753
44753
54654
64654
74654
84555
94456
104456
114357
124456
134456
144456
154456
164456
174357
184456
194456
204555
214555
224753
234753
244753
254852
264951
274951
284951
295050
305050
314951

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Bristol gets around 4.3 in of rain and snow over 10.2 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 33% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13111
23212
33212
43313
53314
63315
73415
83416
93416
103417
113417
123417
133417
143417
153316
163316
173316
183215
193215
203215
213115
223115
233115
243115
253115
263215
273215
283216
293316
303317
313318

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 8 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97light breeze
107light breeze
117light breeze
127light 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 9 h 12 min at the start of December to 9 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:06 AM to 7:24 AM, and sunset from 4:18 PM to 4:25 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.27:064:18
29.27:074:17
39.27:084:17
49.17:084:17
59.17:094:17
69.17:104:17
79.17:114:17
89.17:124:17
99.17:134:17
109.07:144:17
119.07:154:17
129.07:154:17
139.07:164:17
149.07:174:17
159.07:184:17
169.07:184:18
179.07:194:18
189.07:194:18
199.07:204:19
209.07:214:19
219.07:214:20
229.07:224:20
239.07:224:20
249.07:224:21
259.07:234:22
269.07:234:22
279.07:244:23
289.07:244:23
299.07:244:24
309.07:244:25
319.07:244:25

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.67 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.67 kWh/m² to a high of 5.96 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.67 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.8Dim
21.8Dim
31.8Dim
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
241.7Dim
251.7Dim
261.7Dim
271.7Dim
281.7Dim
291.7Dim
301.7Dim
311.7Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Bristol

In seasonPeak

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

Bristol 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 Bristol?

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

0.1
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 Bristol.

What to pack for Bristol in December

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

In December, Bristol sees daytime highs around 40°F and nights near 26°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Bristol in December

The nearest coast averages about 46°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 38 mi away) is warmest in August at about 73°F and coldest in February near 36°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 4 to Sep 28 — about 2.9 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan39Bracing
Feb36Bracing
Mar37Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May54Bracing
Jun64Cool
Jul71Refreshing
Aug73Refreshing
Sep71Refreshing
Oct64Cool
Nov55Bracing
Dec46Bracing

UV index in Bristol 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 Bristol peaks around July 11 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 23 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 highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 8Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Bristol 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 Bristol is worst in July — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1615 µg/m³Nov 197 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Good
Apr12Good
May13Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct9Good
Nov7Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bristol?

Bristol sits at 41.7°N, 72.9°W, 305 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Plainville, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Bristol

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bristol has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 840 ft around an average of 545 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,148 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,585 ft.

The land around Bristol is covered by trees (68%) within 2 miles, trees (81%) within 10 miles, and trees (77%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
840 ft
10 miles
1,148 ft
50 miles
2,585 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Plainville 5.0 mi · Wolcott 5.0 mi · Southington 6.2 mi · Farmington 6.8 mi · New Britain 8.7 mi · Waterbury 9.3 mi · Avon 11 mi · Newington 12 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 Bristol (41.6718°, -72.9493°, elevation 305 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).