Champaign weather in December

In December, Champaign sees average daytime highs of 40°F and overnight lows near 26°F, with 2.5 in of precipitation across 8.9 wet days and about 9.2 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 44°F in the first days to 37°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 24 min at the start of December to 9 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Champaign's 11th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Champaign's year-round climate.

Daytime high
40°
10th warmest
Overnight low
26°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
2.5 in
8.9 wet days
Daylight
9 h 12 min
7:14 AM – 4:24 PM
Cloud cover
67%
11th clearest
Wind
9 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
1.77 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.1
out of 10

Champaign is city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States.

Density
1,462/km²
people per km²
Founded
1855

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 44°F in the first days to 37°F by the end.

A typical December day in Champaign reaches about 40°F in the afternoon and slips back to 26°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°F and 54°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 11°F cooler than November and about 5°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14530
24429
34429
44329
54328
64228
74228
84227
94127
104127
114127
124026
134026
144026
154026
163926
173925
183925
193925
203825
213825
223824
233824
243824
253824
263824
273724
283724
293723
303723
313723

How December really feels in Champaign

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
7 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Champaign weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan35° / 21°2.78.64.49.50.0
Feb40° / 24°2.37.43.810.40.2
Mar51° / 33°3.310.31.611.72.5
Apr64° / 44°4.511.80.3135.2
May73° / 54°4.713.2014.26.2
Jun81° / 64°4.111.4014.86.0
Jul84° / 67°3.610.4014.65.6
Aug83° / 65°2.98.7013.66.2
Sep78° / 57°3.07.3012.37.3
Oct65° / 46°3.38.50.110.96.1
Nov51° / 35°3.38.70.89.82.7
Dec40° / 26°2.58.93.19.20.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 64%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23862
33763
43763
53763
63763
73763
83763
93763
103763
113763
123763
133763
143763
153763
163664
173763
183763
193763
203763
213664
223664
233763
243763
253664
263664
273664
283664
293664
303466
313367

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Champaign gets around 2.5 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 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1307
2308
3298
4298
5299
6299
7299
82810
92810
102810
112810
122810
132810
142810
152910
162910
172910
182910
192910
202910
212910
222910
232910
242910
252810
262810
272810
282810
292810
302810
312810

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1982
2982
3982
4982
5982
6982
7982
8982
9982
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
29991
30991
31991

Wind in December

Winds average 9 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
210light breeze
310light 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
2610light breeze
2710light breeze
2810light breeze
2910light breeze
3010light breeze
3110light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 24 min at the start of December to 9 h 12 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 7:02 AM to 7:21 AM, and sunset from 4:23 PM to 4:32 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.47:024:23
29.37:034:23
39.37:044:23
49.37:054:23
59.37:064:23
69.37:074:23
79.37:084:23
89.27:084:23
99.27:094:23
109.27:104:23
119.27:114:23
129.27:124:23
139.27:124:23
149.27:134:23
159.27:144:24
169.27:144:24
179.27:154:24
189.27:164:25
199.17:164:25
209.17:174:25
219.17:174:26
229.17:184:26
239.17:184:27
249.17:194:27
259.17:194:28
269.27:194:28
279.27:204:29
289.27:204:30
299.27:204:30
309.27:204:31
319.27:214:32

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.77 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.77 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.77 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.9Dim
21.9Dim
31.9Dim
41.8Dim
51.8Dim
61.8Dim
71.8Dim
81.8Dim
91.8Dim
101.8Dim
111.8Dim
121.8Dim
131.8Dim
141.8Dim
151.8Dim
161.8Dim
171.8Dim
181.8Dim
191.8Dim
201.8Dim
211.8Dim
221.8Dim
231.8Dim
241.8Dim
251.8Dim
261.8Dim
271.8Dim
281.8Dim
291.8Dim
301.8Dim
311.8Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Champaign?

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

0.1
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Champaign.

What to pack for Champaign in December

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

In December, Champaign sees daytime highs around 40°F and nights near 26°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Champaign in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Champaign peaks around June 23 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 9Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Champaign 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 Champaign is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodJul 1616 µg/m³Oct 218 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr11Good
May14Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Champaign?

Champaign sits at 40.1°N, 88.2°W, 738 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Urbana, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Champaign

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Champaign has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 115 ft around an average of 751 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 200 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 495 ft.

The land around Champaign is covered by artificial surfaces (47%) and trees (37%) within 2 miles, cropland (79%) within 10 miles, and cropland (86%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
115 ft
10 miles
200 ft
50 miles
495 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
December weather nearby: Urbana 1.9 mi · Danville 32 mi · Decatur 42 mi · Charleston 43 mi · Mattoon 44 mi · Bloomington 47 mi · Normal 48 mi · Terre Haute 63 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 Champaign (40.1164°, -88.2434°, elevation 738 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).