Honolulu, HI weather in December
Honolulu is warm and often humid in December, with some rain: highs average 82°F and nights drop to about 69°F. Rain falls on about 9 days.
- Normal high
- 82°F
- Normal low
- 69°F
- Wet days
- 9
- 2.2 in total
- Muggy days
- 14
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 83°F | 81°F |
| Normal low | 71°F | 68°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 29% | 27% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:52 am / 5:48 pm | 7:08 am / 6:00 pm |
| Daylight | 10.9 h | 10.9 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 am71°Fdew point 64°F
- 9 am76°Fdew point 65°F
- Noon80°Fdew point 65°F
- 3 pm80°Fdew point 65°F
- 6 pm76°Fdew point 65°F
- 9 pm74°Fdew point 65°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Honolulu Intl Airport (5 mi away); average wind 9 mph; clear or few clouds in 35% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 29%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F2 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph16 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more14 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow9 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in3 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 2.2 in; a dry December brings about 0.5 in and a wet one about 3.0 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more.
How December varies from year to year
- Warmest December, 1991-20201995: average high 87°F
- Coolest December1999: average high 80°F
- Wettest December2010: 11.7 in
- Driest December2012: 0.01 in
- Highest reading89°F (December 15, 1995)
- Lowest reading56°F (December 28, 1996)
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 | 84°F | 82°F | 81°F |
| Normal low | 72°F | 69°F | 67°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Daylight | 11.1 h | 10.9 h | 11.0 h |
Highs change by -2°F from November and -1°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Drier: Kailua-Kona, HI167 mi · high 82°F · 4 wet days
How Honolulu ranks in December
- Normal high3rd warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 7 in Hawaii
- Wet days160th driest of 378
- Comfortable days181st most of 340
What to pack for Honolulu in December
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 9 days
- A swimsuit – about 16 beach days
Heating and cooling
December has 0 heating degree days and 326 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 7% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Honolulu in December?
The normal high is 82°F and the normal low is 69°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest December reading was 89°F (most recently on December 15, 1995).
Does it rain a lot in Honolulu in December?
About 9 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.2 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2010 (11.7 in); the driest was in 2012 (0.01 in).
Is December a good time to visit Honolulu?
December ranks 8th of 12 months on our comfort score for Honolulu (49 out of 100). It has about 2 comfortable days. The best months are February, March and June.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Honolulu Intl Airport (USW00022521), 4.7 mi WNW of the city center, 7 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Beretania Pump Stn 705 (USC00510211), 0.3 mi E of the city center, 20 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Honolulu International Airport (911820-22521), 5.3 mi WNW of the city center, 6 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.