Elgin weather in December: Elgin, Illinois: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Elgin in December has a normal high of 36°F and a normal low of 20°F, a daily mean of 28°F, falling from 40°F on the 1st to 32°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 2.22 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 2°C and low of −7°C, 56 mm of precipitation and 22 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationElgin
- Station IDUSC00112736
- Location42.06°N 88.29°W
- Elevation763 ft (233 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population114,701
- Jan 30° 14°
- Feb 34° 17°
- Mar 46° 26°
- Apr 59° 37°
- May 70° 48°
- Jun 80° 58°
- Jul 84° 63°
- Aug 82° 61°
- Sep 76° 53°
- Oct 63° 41°
- Nov 48° 30°
- Dec 36° 20°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Elgin in December?
The normal high is 36°F and the normal low 20°F, for a daily mean of 27.8°F. December is 11.0°F cooler than November and 5.7°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Elgin and the 10th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 8°F, from 40°F on December 1 to 32°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 5.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 23°F and 33°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 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 40°F | 25°F | 34% | 19% |
| December 8 | 38°F | 22°F | 34% | 18% |
| December 15 | 36°F | 20°F | 33% | 17% |
| December 22 | 34°F | 18°F | 33% | 16% |
| December 31 | 32°F | 16°F | 33% | 16% |
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 | 40°F | 25°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 2 | 40°F | 24°F | 34% | 19% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 3 | 40°F | 24°F | 34% | 18% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 4 | 39°F | 24°F | 34% | 18% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 5 | 39°F | 23°F | 34% | 18% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 6 | 38°F | 23°F | 34% | 18% | 9 h 20 min |
| December 7 | 38°F | 23°F | 34% | 18% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 8 | 38°F | 22°F | 34% | 18% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 9 | 37°F | 22°F | 34% | 18% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 10 | 37°F | 22°F | 34% | 18% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 11 | 37°F | 21°F | 34% | 18% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 12 | 36°F | 21°F | 33% | 18% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 13 | 36°F | 21°F | 33% | 18% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 14 | 36°F | 21°F | 33% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 15 | 36°F | 20°F | 33% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 16 | 35°F | 20°F | 33% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 17 | 35°F | 20°F | 33% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 18 | 35°F | 19°F | 33% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 19 | 34°F | 19°F | 33% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 20 | 34°F | 19°F | 33% | 17% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 21 | 34°F | 19°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 22 | 34°F | 18°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 23 | 33°F | 18°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 24 | 33°F | 18°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 25 | 33°F | 18°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 26 | 33°F | 18°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 27 | 33°F | 17°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 28 | 32°F | 17°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 29 | 32°F | 17°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 30 | 32°F | 17°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
| December 31 | 32°F | 16°F | 33% | 16% | 9 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 36°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 20°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 2.22 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 8.7 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 28
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min to 9 h 10 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 61%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00112736; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Elgin in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around December 4 (34%). In all, 2.22 in falls on 10 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Elgin, 28 nights fall to freezing, 12 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 8.7 inches.
Snow falls on 5 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 9 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00112736.
What are the records for December in Elgin?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1983) is 68°F, on December 4, 2012; the coldest is −24°F, on December 25, 1983. The wettest December brought 5.50 in (2015); the snowiest, 30.8 inches (2000).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 27.8°F: 2021 34.7°F (+6.9), 2022 26.0°F (−1.8), 2023 37.0°F (+9.2), 2024 29.8°F (+2.0), 2025 24.7°F (−3.1). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 34.7°F | +6.9°F | 2.36 in |
| 2022 | 26.0°F | −1.8°F | 2.17 in |
| 2023 | 37.0°F | +9.2°F | 2.60 in |
| 2024 | 29.8°F | +2.0°F | 1.24 in |
| 2025 | 24.7°F | −3.1°F | 2.02 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00112736; recent months: ACIS, station USC00112736. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Elgin 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; Elgin's is 36°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.