Chicago weather in December (Illinois, United States of America)

Can you expect sunny skies in Chicago in December? Find all the essential weather information for this month in our guide.

Temperatures

During December, Chicago usually has low temperatures and moderate snow/rainfall. During December, you’ll experience the winter season. Throughout the day, temperatures typically settle at around 3°C. But by evening, they drop to around -5°C. It is a very cold month, so be prepared and make sure to dress up warm. It's always better to be prepared than to find oneself shivering in the cold.

Precipitation

Chicago in December usually receives moderate snow/rainfall, averaging around 81 mm for the month. Based on our climate data of the past 30 years, about 13 days of snow/rain are anticipated.

Average sunshine

The city usually sees around 107 hours of sunlight, indicating a moderately sunny period.

If you're looking for dry conditions and comfortable temperatures, December may not be the ideal month to visit Chicago. September typically offers the best circumstances. While January, February, March, November and December tend to showcase less optimal conditions.

For an in-depth look at the yearly conditions, visit our specialized Chicago climate page with graphs.

 

Chicago, monthly averages in December

Min Temperature -5°C  

Max Temperature 3°C  

Chance of Rain 43%  

Precipitation 81 mm  

Rainy days 13 days  

Humidity 76%  

Windspeed 18 km/h  

Sunshine 107 hours  

Percentage Sunshine 37%  

Where to go in the United States of America in December

Find out more about the weather in the United States of America and which places have the best travel conditions in this month.

Weather conditions Weather

Temperatures

Precipitation

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Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor

Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

So, what should you wear in this month?

Wear a base layer in cold weather; this is the #1 thing you can do to increase your overall body temperature.

What To Do

We rated the following activities from 1 (least suitable) to 10 (best) to do.

Swimming

5/10

Cycling

3/10

Walking

3/10

Camping

1/10

Outdoor sports

3/10

Interested in more climate information?

This site provides you with all the information you need about the climate in Chicago.

Our site offers climate and forecast data for every country in the world. Are you going to the United States of America? On this website you can find historical weather averages for many cities in the United States of America. Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.