Hollister weather in December

In December, Hollister sees average daytime highs of 58°F and overnight lows near 40°F, with 3.0 in of rain across 7.8 wet days and about 9.5 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 58°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 42 min at the start of December to 9 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Hollister's 9th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hollister's year-round climate.

Daytime high
58°
12th warmest
Overnight low
40°
1st coldest
Rainfall
3.0 in
7.8 wet days
Daylight
9 h 30 min
7:17 AM – 4:46 PM
Cloud cover
52%
9th clearest
Wind
4 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
2.47 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.6
out of 10

Hollister is city in and county seat of San Benito County, California, United States.

Density
1,984/km²
people per km²
Founded
1868

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 58°F through the month.

A typical December day in Hollister reaches about 58°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 52°F and 65°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°F cooler than November and on par with January.

20°30°40°50°60°70°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16041
26041
36041
45941
55941
65941
75941
85941
95841
105841
115841
125840
135840
145840
155840
165840
175840
185740
195740
205740
215739
225739
235739
245739
255739
265739
275739
285739
295739
305740
315740

Hollister weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 12th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan58° / 41°3.48.19.84.6
Feb60° / 42°3.48.710.64.9
Mar62° / 44°2.78.411.75.7
Apr65° / 46°1.2512.96.8
May68° / 49°0.62.813.97.9
Jun73° / 52°0.10.414.59.1
Jul77° / 56°0.00.214.39.4
Aug77° / 56°0.10.313.49.3
Sep76° / 54°0.10.512.39.4
Oct72° / 50°0.72.2118.6
Nov64° / 44°1.54.7106.6
Dec58° / 40°3.07.89.54.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 47%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25644
35545
45545
55446
65446
75347
85347
95347
105248
115248
125347
135347
145347
155347
165347
175347
185347
195347
205347
215347
225347
235347
245248
255248
265248
275050
285050
294951
304852
314753

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Hollister gets around 3.0 in of rain over 7.8 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 25% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
123
224
324
424
525
625
725
825
925
1026
1126
1226
1326
1425
1525
1625
1725
1825
1925
2025
2125
2225
2325
2425
2525
2625
2725
2825
2925
3025
3125

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 (%)
1991
2991
3982
4982
5982
6982
7982
8982
9982
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in December

Winds average 4 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 4 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 42 min at the start of December to 9 h 30 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 7:06 AM to 7:24 AM, and sunset from 4:45 PM to 4:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.77:064:45
29.67:064:45
39.67:074:45
49.67:084:45
59.67:094:45
69.67:104:45
79.67:114:45
89.67:124:45
99.57:124:45
109.57:134:45
119.57:144:45
129.57:144:45
139.57:154:46
149.57:164:46
159.57:174:46
169.57:174:46
179.57:184:47
189.57:184:47
199.57:194:47
209.57:194:48
219.57:204:48
229.57:204:49
239.57:214:49
249.57:214:50
259.57:224:50
269.57:224:51
279.57:224:51
289.57:234:52
299.57:234:53
309.57:234:53
319.57:244:54

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.47 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.47 kWh/m² to a high of 8 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.47 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.6Moderate
22.5Moderate
32.5Moderate
42.5Moderate
52.5Moderate
62.5Moderate
72.5Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.4Moderate
122.4Moderate
132.4Moderate
142.4Moderate
152.4Moderate
162.4Moderate
172.4Moderate
182.4Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.5Moderate
252.5Moderate
262.5Moderate
272.5Moderate
282.5Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Hollister?

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

4.6
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.1
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Hollister for sightseeing.

What to pack for Hollister in December

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

In December, Hollister sees daytime highs around 58°F and nights near 40°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layer

Sea temperature near Hollister in December

The nearest coast averages about 55°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 26 mi away) is warmest in September at about 58°F and coldest in April near 54°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

52°54°56°58°60°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan55Bracing
Feb55Bracing
Mar55Bracing
Apr54Bracing
May54Bracing
Jun55Bracing
Jul57Bracing
Aug58Bracing
Sep58Bracing
Oct58Bracing
Nov56Bracing
Dec55Bracing

UV index in Hollister 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 Hollister peaks around June 22 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 at about 2 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 11Dec 13UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep7High
Oct5High
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Hollister 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 Hollister is worst in August — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (June, 5 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1920 µg/m³Jun 135 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar8Good
Apr7Good
May6Good
Jun5Good
Jul8Good
Aug22Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct12Moderate
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Hollister?

Hollister sits at 36.9°N, 121.4°W, 289 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Gilroy, 14 mi away.

Topography around Hollister

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Hollister has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 285 ft around an average of 292 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,409 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,843 ft.

The land around Hollister is covered by artificial surfaces (42%) and cropland (34%) within 2 miles, grassland (55%) and cropland (20%) within 10 miles, and grassland (42%) and trees (26%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
285 ft
10 miles
3,409 ft
50 miles
5,843 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Gilroy 14 mi · Prunedale 16 mi · Salinas 19 mi · Watsonville 20 mi · Morgan Hill 24 mi · Marina 25 mi · Soledad 30 mi · Seaside 30 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 Hollister (36.8524°, -121.4016°, elevation 289 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).