Gainesville weather in December

In December, Gainesville sees average daytime highs of 68°F and overnight lows near 48°F, with 2.4 in of rain across 6.7 wet days and about 10.1 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 71°F in the first days to 67°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 12 min at the start of December to 10 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Gainesville's 8th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gainesville's year-round climate.

Daytime high
68°
11th warmest
Overnight low
48°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
2.4 in
6.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 06 min
7:22 AM – 5:29 PM
Cloud cover
55%
8th clearest
Wind
6 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
2.86 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Gainesville is city and county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States.

Density
899/km²
people per km²
Founded
1853

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 71°F in the first days to 67°F by the end.

A typical December day in Gainesville reaches about 68°F in the afternoon and slips back to 48°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 56°F and 79°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17150
27150
37150
47050
57049
67049
77049
86949
96949
106949
116949
126949
136948
146848
156848
166848
176848
186848
196848
206747
216747
226747
236747
246747
256747
266747
276747
286747
296747
306747
316747

How December really feels in Gainesville

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.

Gainesville weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan66° / 45°2.97.710.36.6
Feb69° / 48°2.56.910.96.9
Mar75° / 53°3.17.411.87.4
Apr80° / 58°2.26.612.77.0
May86° / 65°2.88.913.55.2
Jun89° / 72°5.318.613.93.3
Jul90° / 74°5.420.613.72.9
Aug90° / 74°5.821.413.12.9
Sep87° / 71°4.214.612.24.1
Oct81° / 63°2.27.711.36.7
Nov74° / 53°1.65.310.57.7
Dec68° / 48°2.46.710.16.9

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% 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 48%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15842
25743
35644
45644
55545
65545
75446
85446
95347
105347
115248
125347
135248
145248
155149
165248
175248
185149
195149
205248
215248
225149
235149
245050
254951
264951
274852
284753
294753
304753
314654

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Gainesville gets around 2.4 in of rain over 6.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 22% and peaks near 24% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
218
318
418
519
619
720
820
921
1022
1122
1222
1323
1423
1524
1624
1724
1824
1924
2024
2124
2224
2323
2423
2523
2623
2723
2823
2923
3022
3122

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 62% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 7% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
155201771
255201771
355201771
456201671
557201670
657201670
757201670
857201670
957201670
1059191570
1159191570
1259191570
1360181570
1461181470
1562171470
1662171470
1764161370
1864161370
1965151370
2066151270
2167141270
2266141280
2366141280
2466141280
2566141280
2666141280
2766141280
2865151280
2965151280
3065151280
3166151180

Wind in December

Winds average 6 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 12 min at the start of December to 10 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:12 AM to 7:29 AM, and sunset from 5:26 PM to 5:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.27:125:26
210.27:135:26
310.27:145:26
410.27:145:26
510.27:155:26
610.27:165:26
710.27:165:26
810.27:175:27
910.17:185:27
1010.17:195:27
1110.17:195:27
1210.17:205:27
1310.17:205:28
1410.17:215:28
1510.17:225:28
1610.17:225:29
1710.17:235:29
1810.17:235:29
1910.17:245:30
2010.17:245:30
2110.17:255:31
2210.17:255:31
2310.17:265:32
2410.17:265:32
2510.17:275:33
2610.17:275:33
2710.17:285:34
2810.17:285:34
2910.17:285:35
3010.17:295:35
3110.17:295:36

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.86 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.86 kWh/m² to a high of 6.3 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 2.86 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.0Moderate
23.0Moderate
33.0Moderate
43.0Moderate
53.0Moderate
62.9Moderate
72.9Moderate
82.9Moderate
92.9Moderate
102.9Moderate
112.9Moderate
122.8Moderate
132.8Moderate
142.8Moderate
152.8Moderate
162.8Moderate
172.8Moderate
182.8Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.8Moderate
262.8Moderate
272.9Moderate
282.9Moderate
292.9Moderate
302.9Moderate
312.9Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Gainesville

In seasonPeak

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

Gainesville's rainy season runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Gainesville?

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

6.9
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
3.7
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Gainesville for sightseeing.

What to pack for Gainesville in December

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

In December, Gainesville sees daytime highs around 68°F and nights near 48°F. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 7 days see rain.

UV index in Gainesville in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Gainesville peaks around June 23 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 11Dec 20UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb6High
Mar8Very high
Apr8Very high
May9Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct7High
Nov5Moderate
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Gainesville 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 Gainesville is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJul 1619 µg/m³Dec 108 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb17Moderate
Mar17Moderate
Apr18Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct9Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Gainesville?

Gainesville sits at 29.7°N, 82.3°W, 177 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ocala, 34 mi away.

Topography around Gainesville

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Gainesville has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 187 ft around an average of 164 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 223 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 299 ft.

The land around Gainesville is covered by trees (66%) and artificial surfaces (28%) within 2 miles, trees (77%) within 10 miles, and trees (74%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
187 ft
10 miles
223 ft
50 miles
299 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
December weather nearby: Ocala 34 mi · Marion Oaks 45 mi · Oakleaf Plantation 47 mi · Lakeside 47 mi · Fleming Island 47 mi · Fruit Cove 52 mi · The Villages 54 mi · St. Johns 55 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 Gainesville (29.6516°, -82.3248°, elevation 177 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).