Indio weather in December

In December, Indio sees average daytime highs of 61°F and overnight lows near 42°F, with 1.0 in of precipitation across 2.9 wet days and about 9.8 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 63°F in the first days to 60°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 54 min at the start of December to 9 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Indio's 10th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Indio's year-round climate.

Daytime high
61°
12th warmest
Overnight low
42°
1st coldest
Precipitation
1.0 in
2.9 wet days
Daylight
9 h 48 min
6:48 AM – 4:34 PM
Cloud cover
38%
10th clearest
Wind
3 mph
11th windiest
Solar energy
3.19 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Indio is city in Riverside County, California, United States.

Density
1,158/km²
people per km²
Founded
1873

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 63°F in the first days to 60°F by the end.

A typical December day in Indio reaches about 61°F in the afternoon and slips back to 42°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 52°F and 70°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°F cooler than November and on par with January.

30°40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16444
26444
36444
46344
56343
66343
76243
86243
96243
106243
116242
126242
136142
146142
156142
166142
176142
186141
196141
206041
216041
226041
236041
246041
256041
266041
276041
286041
296041
306041
316042

How December really feels in Indio

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.

Indio 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
Jan62° / 43°1.13.6106.6
Feb65° / 45°1.34.110.77.1
Mar71° / 49°0.72.911.78.1
Apr77° / 54°0.31.512.88.8
May85° / 60°0.10.913.77.0
Jun94° / 68°0.00.214.23.8
Jul99° / 75°0.31.9141.9
Aug98° / 75°0.32.213.32.2
Sep92° / 69°0.31.812.24.4
Oct82° / 59°0.31.211.28.0
Nov70° / 48°0.31.510.38.4
Dec61° / 42°1.02.99.86.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17228
27129
37129
47129
57129
67030
77030
87030
97030
107030
117030
127129
137129
147030
157030
167030
177030
186931
196931
206832
216832
226832
236832
246832
256733
266733
276733
286634
296634
306634
316733

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Indio gets around 1.0 in of rain and snow over 2.9 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 9% and peaks near 11% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
18
28
38
48
58
68
79
89
99
109
119
129
139
149
159
169
1710
1810
1910
2010
2110
2210
2310
2410
2510
2610
2710
2811
2911
3011
3111

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 3 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 3 mph on the calmest days to 3 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
13calm
23calm
33calm
43calm
53calm
63calm
73calm
83calm
93calm
103calm
113calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 54 min 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 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:37 AM to 6:54 AM, and sunset from 4:32 PM to 4:42 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.96:374:32
29.96:384:32
39.96:394:32
49.96:394:32
59.96:404:32
69.96:414:32
79.86:424:32
89.86:434:32
99.86:434:33
109.86:444:33
119.86:454:33
129.86:454:33
139.86:464:33
149.86:474:34
159.86:474:34
169.86:484:34
179.86:484:34
189.86:494:35
199.86:504:35
209.86:504:36
219.86:514:36
229.86:514:37
239.86:524:37
249.86:524:38
259.86:524:38
269.86:534:39
279.86:534:39
289.86:544:40
299.86:544:40
309.86:544:41
319.86:544:42

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.19 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.19 kWh/m² to a high of 8.57 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.19 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.3Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.3Moderate
53.2Moderate
63.2Moderate
73.2Moderate
83.2Moderate
93.2Moderate
103.1Moderate
113.1Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.1Moderate
143.1Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.1Moderate
213.1Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.2Moderate
253.2Moderate
263.2Moderate
273.2Moderate
283.2Moderate
293.2Moderate
303.2Moderate
313.2Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Indio?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
1.1
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Indio for sightseeing.

What to pack for Indio in December

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

In December, Indio sees daytime highs around 61°F and nights near 42°F. Worth packing: a warm layer.

a warm layer

UV index in Indio 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 Indio peaks around June 23 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 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 highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 11Dec 17UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr8Very high
May9Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Indio 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 Indio is worst in September — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.3× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodSep 1419 µg/m³Dec 155 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb7Good
Mar8Good
Apr8Good
May7Good
Jun14Moderate
Jul10Good
Aug11Good
Sep20Moderate
Oct6Good
Nov5Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Indio?

Indio sits at 33.7°N, 116.2°W, -13 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Coachella, 3.7 mi away.

Topography around Indio

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Indio has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 105 ft around an average of -7 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,386 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 11,650 ft.

The land around Indio is covered by artificial surfaces (64%) and bare terrain (24%) within 2 miles, bare terrain (59%) within 10 miles, and bare terrain (54%) and shrubs (26%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
105 ft
10 miles
4,386 ft
50 miles
11,650 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Coachella 3.7 mi · La Quinta 6.8 mi · Palm Desert 9.3 mi · Rancho Mirage 11 mi · Cathedral City 15 mi · Palm Springs 21 mi · Desert Hot Springs 24 mi · Yucca Valley 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 Indio (33.7207°, -116.2168°, elevation -13 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).