Terre Haute weather in December

In December, Terre Haute sees average daytime highs of 41°F and overnight lows near 28°F, with 2.9 in of precipitation across 9.3 wet days and about 9.3 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 45°F in the first days to 39°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 24 min at the start of December to 9 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Terre Haute's 11th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Terre Haute's year-round climate.

Daytime high
41°
11th warmest
Overnight low
28°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
2.9 in
9.3 wet days
Daylight
9 h 12 min
8:09 AM – 5:23 PM
Cloud cover
69%
11th clearest
Wind
8 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
1.75 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.2
out of 10

Terre Haute is city and county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States.

Density
666/km²
people per km²
Founded
1811

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 45°F in the first days to 39°F by the end.

A typical December day in Terre Haute reaches about 41°F in the afternoon and slips back to 28°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°F and 56°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 11°F cooler than November and about 4°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14632
24531
34531
44431
54430
64430
74329
84329
94229
104229
114228
124228
134128
144128
154128
164127
174027
184027
194027
204027
214026
224026
234026
243926
253926
263926
273926
283925
293925
303925
313825

How December really feels in Terre Haute

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Terre Haute weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan37° / 23°3.29.23.79.50.0
Feb42° / 26°2.68.33.210.40.3
Mar52° / 35°3.710.71.711.72.8
Apr64° / 45°4.912.40.1135.3
May74° / 56°4.812.9014.16.3
Jun82° / 65°4.311.7014.75.7
Jul85° / 68°3.811014.55.2
Aug83° / 66°3.08.4013.56.0
Sep78° / 58°2.97.1012.37.3
Oct66° / 47°3.38.20.1116.2
Nov52° / 36°3.78.70.79.82.8
Dec41° / 28°2.99.32.79.30.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 65%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13763
23763
33565
43565
53565
63565
73466
83466
93466
103466
113367
123466
133466
143466
153466
163466
173565
183565
193565
203565
213664
223565
233565
243565
253565
263466
273466
283466
293367
303367
313367

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Terre Haute gets around 2.9 in of rain and snow over 9.3 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 30% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1316
2316
3316
4317
5317
6318
7318
8318
9318
10319
11319
12319
13319
14319
15319
16319
17319
18319
19319
20309
21309
22309
23299
24299
25299
26299
27299
28299
29299
30299
31299

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 (%)
1982
2982
3982
4982
5982
6982
7982
8982
9982
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

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 24 min at the start of December to 9 h 18 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 7:57 AM to 8:15 AM, and sunset from 5:22 PM to 5:30 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.47:575:22
29.47:585:22
39.47:595:22
49.48:005:22
59.38:015:21
69.38:015:21
79.38:025:21
89.38:035:21
99.38:045:21
109.38:055:22
119.38:055:22
129.38:065:22
139.38:075:22
149.28:085:22
159.28:085:22
169.28:095:23
179.28:105:23
189.28:105:23
199.28:115:24
209.28:115:24
219.28:125:25
229.28:125:25
239.28:135:25
249.28:135:26
259.28:145:27
269.28:145:27
279.28:145:28
289.28:155:28
299.28:155:29
309.28:155:30
319.38:155:30

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.75 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.75 kWh/m² to a high of 6.38 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.75 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.9Dim
21.8Dim
31.8Dim
41.8Dim
51.8Dim
61.8Dim
71.8Dim
81.8Dim
91.8Dim
101.8Dim
111.8Dim
121.7Dim
131.7Dim
141.7Dim
151.7Dim
161.7Dim
171.7Dim
181.7Dim
191.7Dim
201.7Dim
211.7Dim
221.7Dim
231.7Dim
241.7Dim
251.7Dim
261.7Dim
271.8Dim
281.8Dim
291.8Dim
301.8Dim
311.8Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Terre Haute?

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

0.2
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Terre Haute.

What to pack for Terre Haute in December

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

In December, Terre Haute sees daytime highs around 41°F and nights near 28°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Terre Haute 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 Terre Haute peaks around July 11 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 11UV 9Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Terre Haute 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 Terre Haute is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodJul 1516 µg/m³Oct 218 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr12Good
May14Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Terre Haute?

Terre Haute sits at 39.5°N, 87.4°W, 499 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Charleston, 41 mi away.

Topography around Terre Haute

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Terre Haute has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 121 ft around an average of 486 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 289 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 646 ft.

The land around Terre Haute is covered by trees (42%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 2 miles, trees (46%) and cropland (34%) within 10 miles, and cropland (59%) and trees (34%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
121 ft
10 miles
289 ft
50 miles
646 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Charleston 41 mi · Danville 47 mi · Crawfordsville 49 mi · Mattoon 51 mi · Bloomington 52 mi · Vincennes 55 mi · Plainfield 57 mi · Avon 58 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 Terre Haute (39.4667°, -87.4139°, elevation 499 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).