Hilo, HI weather in December
Hilo is mild and often humid in December, with rain on most days: highs average 79°F and nights drop to about 66°F. Rain falls on about 22 days. Keep rain gear handy.
- Normal high
- 79°F
- Normal low
- 66°F
- Wet days
- 22
- 12.1 in total
- Muggy days
- 16
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 79°F | 79°F |
| Normal low | 67°F | 65°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 75% | 62% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:38 am / 5:40 pm | 6:54 am / 5:52 pm |
| Daylight | 11.0 h | 11.0 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Hawaii time (no daylight saving)).
A typical December day
- 6 am67°Fdew point 62°F
- 9 am73°Fdew point 65°F
- Noon78°Fdew point 66°F
- 3 pm77°Fdew point 66°F
- 6 pm73°Fdew point 66°F
- 9 pm70°Fdew point 66°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Hilo Intl Airport (2 mi away); average wind 6 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F1 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph10 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more16 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow22 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in16 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per December, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in December
Normal precipitation is 12.1 in; a dry December brings about 7.4 in and a wet one about 14.9 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 7 days bring half an inch or more, and about 3 an inch or more.
How December varies from year to year
- Warmest December, 1991-20201995: average high 83°F
- Coolest December1998: average high 77°F
- Wettest December2008: 30.4 in
- Driest December1995: 4.1 in
- Highest reading87°F (December 27, 1996)
- Lowest reading57°F (December 16, 2017)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
December compared with November and January
| November | December | January | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 80°F | 79°F | 79°F |
| Normal low | 68°F | 66°F | 64°F |
| Wet days | 23 | 22 | 16 |
| Comfortable days | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Daylight | 11.2 h | 11.0 h | 11.1 h |
Highs change by -1°F from November and 0°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Drier: Kailua-Kona, HI59 mi · high 82°F · 4 wet days
How Hilo ranks in December
- Normal high8th warmest of 378 cities; 7th of 7 in Hawaii
- Wet days376th driest of 378
- Comfortable days200th most of 340
What to pack for Hilo in December
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 22 days
- A swimsuit – about 10 beach days
Heating and cooling
December has 0 heating degree days and 225 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 7% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Hilo in December?
The normal high is 79°F and the normal low is 66°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest December reading was 87°F (most recently on December 27, 1996).
Does it rain a lot in Hilo in December?
About 22 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 12.1 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2008 (30.4 in); the driest was in 1995 (4.1 in).
Is December a good time to visit Hilo?
December ranks 11th of 12 months on our comfort score for Hilo (38 out of 100). It has about 1 comfortable day. The best months are January and February.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Hilo Intl Airport (USW00021504), 2.2 mi E of the city center, 38 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Kapoho Beach 93.11 (USC00513368), 23 mi SE of the city center, 20 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Hilo International Airport (912850-21504), 2.5 mi E of the city center, 29 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).