El Dorado weather in December

In December, El Dorado sees average daytime highs of 57°F and overnight lows near 40°F, with 4.9 in of precipitation across 9.6 wet days and about 9.8 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 60°F in the first days to 55°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 hours at the start of December to 9 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is El Dorado's 10th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see El Dorado's year-round climate.

Daytime high
57°
11th warmest
Overnight low
40°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
4.9 in
9.6 wet days
Daylight
9 h 48 min
7:12 AM – 5:01 PM
Cloud cover
57%
10th clearest
Wind
7 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.34 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

El Dorado is city in and county seat of Union County, Arkansas, United States.

Density
436/km²
people per km²
Founded
1843

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 60°F in the first days to 55°F by the end.

A typical December day in El Dorado reaches about 57°F in the afternoon and slips back to 40°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 44°F and 70°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16142
26042
36041
46041
55941
65941
75941
85840
95840
105840
115840
125840
135740
145740
155739
165739
175739
185739
195639
205639
215639
225639
235638
245638
255638
265538
275538
285538
295538
305538
315538

How December really feels in El Dorado

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.

El Dorado weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan55° / 38°4.49.30.310.13.7
Feb59° / 41°4.19.20.510.84.6
Mar68° / 48°5.211.20.111.76.2
Apr75° / 55°5.79.5012.87.0
May83° / 64°4.611.8013.75.6
Jun90° / 71°3.910.8014.23.8
Jul93° / 74°3.410.90143.0
Aug93° / 73°2.99.5013.23.1
Sep88° / 67°3.67.4012.25.0
Oct77° / 56°4.48011.27.3
Nov65° / 46°3.87.9010.36.4
Dec57° / 40°4.99.60.29.84.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
25050
34951
44951
54753
64753
74654
84654
94654
104654
114555
124555
134456
144456
154456
164654
174654
184753
194753
204753
214654
224753
234753
244753
254753
264753
274753
284654
294654
304555
314654

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

El Dorado gets around 4.9 in of rain and snow over 9.6 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 32% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
230
330
430
530
630
731
831
931
1031
1132
1232
1332
1433
1533
1633
1733
1833
1933
2033
2133
2232
2332
2432
2532
2632
2731
2831
2931
3031
3131

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 87% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
184871
285771
385771
485771
585771
686671
786671
886671
987661
1087661
1187661
1288651
1388651
1487751
1587751
1688741
1788741
1889641
1989641
2089641
2189641
2289641
2389641
2489641
2589641
2688741
2787751
2888651
2988651
3088651
3187751

Wind in December

Winds average 7 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 7 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
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 hours at the start of December to 9 h 48 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 7:19 AM, and sunset from 4:59 PM to 5:09 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.07:024:59
29.97:024:59
39.97:034:59
49.97:044:59
59.97:054:59
69.97:064:59
79.97:064:59
89.97:074:59
99.97:085:00
109.97:085:00
119.87:095:00
129.87:105:00
139.87:105:00
149.87:115:01
159.87:125:01
169.87:125:01
179.87:135:02
189.87:145:02
199.87:145:02
209.87:155:03
219.87:155:03
229.87:165:04
239.87:165:04
249.87:165:05
259.87:175:05
269.87:175:06
279.87:185:06
289.87:185:07
299.87:185:08
309.87:195:08
319.87:195:09

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.34 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.34 kWh/m² to a high of 6.3 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 2.34 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.5Moderate
22.5Moderate
32.5Moderate
42.4Moderate
52.4Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.3Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.3Moderate
192.3Moderate
202.3Moderate
212.3Moderate
222.3Moderate
232.3Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.3Moderate
292.3Moderate
302.3Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit El Dorado?

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

4.2
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.1
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit El Dorado for sightseeing.

What to pack for El Dorado in December

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

In December, El Dorado sees daytime highs around 57°F and nights near 40°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in El Dorado in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in El Dorado peaks around June 20 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 20UV 10Dec 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar7High
Apr9Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in El Dorado 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 El Dorado is worst in July — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1722 µg/m³Jan 117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May15Moderate
Jun19Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is El Dorado?

El Dorado sits at 33.2°N, 92.7°W, 269 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ruston, 47 mi away.

Topography around El Dorado

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around El Dorado has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 180 ft around an average of 243 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 282 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 459 ft.

The land around El Dorado is covered by trees (64%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 2 miles, trees (87%) within 10 miles, and trees (89%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
180 ft
10 miles
282 ft
50 miles
459 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Ruston 47 mi · Monroe 58 mi · Bossier City 78 mi · Shreveport 79 mi · Pine Bluff 80 mi · Texarkana 81 mi · Texarkana 81 mi · Hot Springs 93 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 El Dorado (33.2076°, -92.6663°, elevation 269 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).