Forest Hills weather in December

In December, Forest Hills sees average daytime highs of 35°F and overnight lows near 24°F, with 2.3 in of precipitation across 10.2 wet days and about 8.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 39°F in the first days to 33°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% 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 Forest Hills's 11th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Forest Hills's year-round climate.

Daytime high
35°
10th warmest
Overnight low
24°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
2.3 in
10.2 wet days
Daylight
8 h 48 min
8:13 AM – 5:03 PM
Cloud cover
82%
11th clearest
Wind
8 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
1.31 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Forest Hills is unincorporated community in Kent County, Michigan, United States.

Density
197/km²
people per km²

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 39°F in the first days to 33°F by the end.

A typical December day in Forest Hills reaches about 35°F in the afternoon and slips back to 24°F overnight — a 11°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°F and 47°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)
13928
23928
33828
43827
53827
63727
73726
83726
93626
103625
113625
123525
133524
143524
153524
163524
173524
183424
193423
203423
213423
223423
233423
243322
253322
263322
273322
283322
293322
303321
313221

How December really feels in Forest Hills

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
12 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Forest Hills 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
Jan30° / 18°2.410.19.59.20.0
Feb33° / 18°2.07.86.410.20.0
Mar44° / 27°2.59.34.111.60.9
Apr57° / 38°4.0121.913.13.8
May68° / 49°4.211.9014.46.0
Jun78° / 59°3.911.5015.16.5
Jul81° / 63°3.611.1014.86.4
Aug79° / 61°3.610.6013.86.7
Sep72° / 53°3.19.5012.36.8
Oct59° / 42°3.310.90.310.84.5
Nov46° / 33°2.69.72.59.51.2
Dec35° / 24°2.310.27.88.90.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 6% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 84%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11981
21981
31981
41981
51882
61882
71783
81783
91783
101684
111684
121684
131684
141585
151486
161486
171585
181585
191585
201486
211585
221585
231585
241585
251585
261585
271585
281585
291585
301486
311585

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Forest Hills gets around 2.3 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 36% on the wettest days, and about 8 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13620
23621
33622
43623
53523
63524
73524
83424
93425
103325
113325
123325
133225
143225
153225
163325
173325
183325
193325
203225
213225
223225
233225
243225
253125
263225
273225
283226
293226
303226
313226

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 8 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light 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 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 8:00 AM to 8:19 AM, and sunset from 5:04 PM to 5:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.18:005:04
29.08:015:03
39.08:025:03
49.08:035:03
59.08:045:03
69.08:055:03
78.98:065:03
88.98:075:03
98.98:075:03
108.98:085:03
118.98:095:03
128.98:105:03
138.98:115:03
148.98:115:03
158.98:125:03
168.88:135:03
178.88:135:04
188.88:145:04
198.88:155:04
208.88:155:05
218.88:165:05
228.88:165:06
238.88:175:06
248.88:175:07
258.88:175:07
268.88:185:08
278.88:185:08
288.88:185:09
298.98:195:10
308.98:195:10
318.98:195:11

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.31 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.31 kWh/m² to a high of 6.35 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.31 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.4Dim
21.4Dim
31.4Dim
41.4Dim
51.4Dim
61.4Dim
71.3Dim
81.3Dim
91.3Dim
101.3Dim
111.3Dim
121.3Dim
131.3Dim
141.3Dim
151.3Dim
161.3Dim
171.3Dim
181.3Dim
191.3Dim
201.3Dim
211.3Dim
221.3Dim
231.3Dim
241.3Dim
251.3Dim
261.3Dim
271.3Dim
281.3Dim
291.3Dim
301.3Dim
311.3Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Forest Hills?

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 Forest Hills.

What to pack for Forest Hills in December

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

In December, Forest Hills sees daytime highs around 35°F and nights near 24°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Forest Hills 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 Forest Hills peaks around June 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 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 20UV 9Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Forest Hills?

Forest Hills sits at 43.0°N, 85.5°W, 630 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Grand Rapids, 9.3 mi away.

Topography around Forest Hills

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Forest Hills has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 279 ft around an average of 725 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 433 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 810 ft.

The land around Forest Hills is covered by trees (75%) within 2 miles, trees (58%) within 10 miles, and trees (48%) and cropland (29%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
279 ft
10 miles
433 ft
50 miles
810 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Grand Rapids 9.3 mi · Kentwood 9.9 mi · Wyoming 11 mi · Grandville 14 mi · Walker 14 mi · Jenison 16 mi · Allendale 24 mi · Holland 34 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 Forest Hills (42.9595°, -85.4898°, elevation 630 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).