Dolton weather in December

In December, Dolton sees average daytime highs of 36°F and overnight lows near 28°F, with 3.2 in of precipitation across 10.2 wet days and about 9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 40°F in the first days to 33°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% 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 Dolton's 11th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dolton's year-round climate.

Daytime high
36°
10th warmest
Overnight low
28°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
3.2 in
10.2 wet days
Daylight
9 hours
7:17 AM – 4:16 PM
Cloud cover
73%
11th clearest
Wind
14 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
1.57 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Dolton is village in Cook County, Illinois, United States.

Density
1,912/km²
people per km²
Founded
1893

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 40°F in the first days to 33°F by the end.

A typical December day in Dolton reaches about 36°F in the afternoon and slips back to 28°F overnight — a 8°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°F and 46°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 10°F cooler than November and about 6°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14133
24033
34032
43932
53931
63931
73831
83830
93830
103730
113729
123729
133729
143629
153628
163628
173628
183528
193527
203527
213527
223527
233426
243426
253426
263426
273426
283325
293325
303325
313325

How December really feels in Dolton

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
6 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Dolton 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
Jan31° / 21°3.3106.49.30.0
Feb32° / 22°2.68.2510.30.0
Mar39° / 30°3.2103.211.70.1
Apr50° / 42°4.912.41.113.12.2
May63° / 54°4.612.1014.35.2
Jun74° / 65°3.911.60156.5
Jul79° / 71°3.411.4014.76.5
Aug78° / 70°3.810.8013.76.8
Sep71° / 63°3.39.1012.36.9
Oct59° / 51°4.110.70.110.94.6
Nov46° / 39°3.810.31.29.71.3
Dec36° / 28°3.210.24.690.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 72%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13070
23070
33070
42971
52971
62971
72971
82971
92971
102971
112971
122872
132872
142872
152872
162872
172872
182872
192872
202872
212872
222773
232773
242773
252773
262773
272773
282773
292773
302773
312575

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Dolton gets around 3.2 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 35% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13511
23512
33512
43513
53513
63413
73413
83414
93414
103314
113314
123314
133314
143314
153314
163314
173314
183314
193214
203215
213215
223215
233215
243216
253216
263216
273216
283216
293216
303217
313317

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 14 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 14 mph on the calmest days to 14 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
114breezy
214breezy
314breezy
414breezy
514breezy
614breezy
714breezy
814breezy
914breezy
1014breezy
1114breezy
1214breezy
1314breezy
1414breezy
1514breezy
1614breezy
1714breezy
1814breezy
1914breezy
2014breezy
2114breezy
2214breezy
2314breezy
2414breezy
2514breezy
2614breezy
2714breezy
2814breezy
2914breezy
3014breezy
3114breezy

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 7:04 AM to 7:23 AM, and sunset from 4:16 PM to 4:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.27:044:16
29.27:054:16
39.27:064:16
49.17:074:16
59.17:084:16
69.17:094:15
79.17:104:15
89.17:114:15
99.17:114:15
109.17:124:15
119.07:134:16
129.07:144:16
139.07:154:16
149.07:154:16
159.07:164:16
169.07:174:16
179.07:174:17
189.07:184:17
199.07:194:17
209.07:194:18
219.07:204:18
229.07:204:19
239.07:214:19
249.07:214:20
259.07:214:20
269.07:224:21
279.07:224:21
289.07:224:22
299.07:234:23
309.07:234:23
319.07:234:24

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.57 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.57 kWh/m² to a high of 6.61 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.57 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.7Dim
21.6Dim
31.6Dim
41.6Dim
51.6Dim
61.6Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.6Dim
101.6Dim
111.6Dim
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
311.6Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Dolton?

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
8th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Dolton.

What to pack for Dolton in December

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

In December, Dolton sees daytime highs around 36°F and nights near 28°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear and a windbreaker. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Dolton in December

The nearest coast averages about 42°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 12 mi away) is warmest in August at about 73°F and coldest in February near 35°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 10 to Sep 16 — about 2.3 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan38Bracing
Feb35Bracing
Mar35Bracing
Apr39Bracing
May46Bracing
Jun59Cool
Jul70Refreshing
Aug73Refreshing
Sep68Refreshing
Oct58Bracing
Nov49Bracing
Dec42Bracing

UV index in Dolton 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 Dolton 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 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 23UV 9Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Dolton 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 Dolton is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 10 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJul 921 µg/m³Oct 2410 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar18Moderate
Apr19Moderate
May20Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov10Good
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Dolton?

Dolton sits at 41.6°N, 87.6°W, 604 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is South Holland, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Dolton

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Dolton has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 174 ft around an average of 604 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 489 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 696 ft.

The land around Dolton is covered by artificial surfaces (50%) and trees (28%) within 2 miles, artificial surfaces (49%) and trees (25%) within 10 miles, and cropland (33%), water (26%) and trees (20%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
174 ft
10 miles
489 ft
50 miles
696 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: South Holland 2.5 mi · Harvey 3.1 mi · Blue Island 3.7 mi · Calumet City 4.3 mi · Morgan Park 5.0 mi · Lansing 6.2 mi · Homewood 6.2 mi · Mount Greenwood 6.8 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 Dolton (41.6389°, -87.6073°, elevation 604 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. 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).