Carbondale weather in December: Carbondale, Illinois: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Carbondale in December has a normal high of 46°F and a normal low of 28°F, a daily mean of 37°F, falling from 50°F on the 1st to 42°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 3.12 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 8°C and low of −2°C, 79 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationCarbondale Southern Illinois Airport
- Station IDUSW00093810
- Location37.78°N 89.25°W
- Elevation406 ft (124 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population22,223
- Jan 42° 25°
- Feb 47° 28°
- Mar 57° 36°
- Apr 68° 45°
- May 77° 55°
- Jun 86° 64°
- Jul 88° 68°
- Aug 87° 65°
- Sep 81° 56°
- Oct 70° 45°
- Nov 56° 35°
- Dec 46° 28°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Carbondale in December?
The normal high is 46°F and the normal low 28°F, for a daily mean of 37.0°F. December is 8.6°F cooler than November and 3.8°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Carbondale and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 50°F on December 1 to 42°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 33°F and 41°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 33%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 50°F | 31°F | 33% | 20% |
| December 8 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% |
| December 15 | 46°F | 28°F | 33% | 20% |
| December 22 | 44°F | 27°F | 31% | 20% |
| December 31 | 42°F | 26°F | 29% | 19% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 31)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 50°F | 31°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 2 | 50°F | 31°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 49°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 49°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 49°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 7 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 8 | 48°F | 30°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 47°F | 29°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 10 | 47°F | 29°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 11 | 47°F | 29°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 12 | 47°F | 29°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 13 | 46°F | 29°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 14 | 46°F | 28°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 46°F | 28°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 46°F | 28°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 45°F | 28°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 45°F | 28°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 45°F | 28°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 45°F | 28°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 44°F | 27°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 44°F | 27°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 44°F | 27°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 44°F | 27°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 43°F | 27°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 43°F | 27°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 43°F | 27°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 43°F | 26°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 43°F | 26°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 42°F | 26°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 42°F | 26°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 46°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 28°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.12 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 22
- Daylight
- 9 h 50 min to 9 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 64%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093810; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Carbondale in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 32% on average, highest around December 6 (33%). In all, 3.12 in falls on 10 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Carbondale, 22 nights fall to freezing and 4 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093810.
What are the records for December in Carbondale?
The warmest December temperature on Carbondale's official record (since 1898) is 77°F, on December 3, 1982; the coldest is −11°F, on December 25, 2004. The wettest December brought 12.23 in (1982); the snowiest, 12.8 inches (1917).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 37.0°F: 2021 47.6°F (+10.6), 2022 36.0°F (−1.0), 2023 43.1°F (+6.1), 2024 39.6°F (+2.6), 2025 37.5°F (+0.5). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 47.6°F | +10.6°F | 3.64 in |
| 2022 | 36.0°F | −1.0°F | 3.37 in |
| 2023 | 43.1°F | +6.1°F | 1.18 in |
| 2024 | 39.6°F | +2.6°F | 2.50 in |
| 2025 | 37.5°F | +0.5°F | 0.59 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MDHthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093810. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Carbondale compare across Illinois?
Across the 144 places PlainClimate covers in Illinois, December normal highs run from 33°F in Galena to 48°F in Anna; Carbondale's is 46°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.