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December Weather in Butare Rwanda

Daily high temperatures are around 76°F, rarely falling below 71°F or exceeding 81°F.

Daily low temperatures are around 60°F, rarely falling below 57°F or exceeding 63°F.

For reference, on September 9, the hottest day of the year, temperatures in Butare typically range from 60°F to 80°F, while on July 4, the coldest day of the year, they range from 58°F to 77°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in December in Butare

The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the hourly average temperatures for the quarter of the year centered on December. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in December in Butare

Average Hourly Temperature in December in ButareDec112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313112 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNovJancoolcomfortablewarmcoolcomfortable
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.
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The month of December in Butare experiences essentially constant cloud cover, with the percentage of time that the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy remaining about 79% throughout the month. The lowest chance of overcast or mostly cloudy conditions is 78% on December 3.

The clearest day of the month is December 3, with clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy conditions 22% of the time.

For reference, on April 10, the cloudiest day of the year, the chance of overcast or mostly cloudy conditions is 82%, while on July 27, the clearest day of the year, the chance of clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy skies is 61%.

Cloud Cover Categories in December in Butare

Cloud Cover Categories in December in ButareDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%NovJanApr 1018%Apr 1018%Dec 121%Dec 121%Dec 3120%Dec 3120%Dec 1121%Dec 1121%Dec 2121%Dec 2121%partly cloudymostly cloudyovercastmostly clearclear
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. In Butare, the chance of a wet day over the course of December is very rapidly decreasing, starting the month at 61% and ending it at 44%.

For reference, the year's highest daily chance of a wet day is 65% on April 11, and its lowest chance is 4% on July 3.

Probability of Precipitation in December in Butare

The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).

Rainfall

To show variation within the month and not just the monthly total, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day.

The average sliding 31-day rainfall during December in Butare is decreasing, starting the month at 4.4 inches, when it rarely exceeds 7.0 inches or falls below 1.9 inches, and ending the month at 3.4 inches, when it rarely exceeds 6.0 inches or falls below 0.9 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in December in Butare

The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.

Over the course of December in Butare, the length of the day is essentially constant. The shortest day of the month is December 1, with 12 hours, 16 minutes of daylight and the longest day is December 21, with 12 hours, 17 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in December in Butare

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in December in ButareDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hrNovJanDec 2112 hr, 17 minDec 2112 hr, 17 mindaydaydaydaynightDec 112 hr, 16 minDec 112 hr, 16 min
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.

The earliest sunrise of the month in Butare is 5:42 AM on December 1 and the latest sunrise is 14 minutes later at 5:56 AM on December 31.

The earliest sunset is 5:58 PM on December 1 and the latest sunset is 14 minutes later at 6:12 PM on December 31.

Daylight saving time is not observed in Butare during 2024.

For reference, on December 21, the longest day of the year, the Sun rises at 5:51 AM and sets 12 hours, 17 minutes later, at 6:07 PM, while on June 20, the shortest day of the year, it rises at 6:03 AM and sets 11 hours, 58 minutes later, at 6:01 PM.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight in December in Butare

The solar day over the course of December. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in December in Butare

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in December in ButareDec112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313112 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNovJan0010102020203030404050505060607000010102020303030404050506060607070
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of December 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for December 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases. The label associated with each bar indicates the date and time that the phase is obtained, and the companion time labels indicate the rise and set times of the Moon for the nearest time interval in which the moon is above the horizon.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in December in Butare

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in December in ButareDec112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313112 AM12 AM4 AM4 AM8 AM8 AM12 PM12 PM4 PM4 PM8 PM8 PM12 AM12 AMNovJanNov 12:48 PMNov 12:48 PMNov 1511:29 PMNov 1511:29 PMDec 18:22 AMDec 18:22 AMDec 1511:02 AMDec 1511:02 AMDec 3112:28 AMDec 3112:28 AMJan 1412:28 AMJan 1412:28 AMJan 292:37 PMJan 292:37 PM5:21 AM5:21 AM5:49 PM5:49 PM5:31 PM5:31 PM5:52 AM5:52 AM5:36 AM5:36 AM6:13 PM6:13 PM5:15 PM5:15 PM5:35 AM5:35 AM6:13 AM6:13 AM6:53 PM6:53 PM6:04 PM6:04 PM6:21 AM6:21 AM5:54 AM5:54 AM6:31 PM6:31 PM
The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.
Dec 2024IlluminationMoonriseMoonsetMoonriseMeridian PassingDistance
1
0%5:36 AMESE6:13 PMWSW-11:53 AMS245,956 mi
2
1%6:29 AMESE7:08 PMWSW-12:48 PMS243,900 mi
3
5%7:25 AMESE8:05 PMWSW-1:45 PMS241,778 mi
4
11%8:22 AMESE9:00 PMWSW-2:42 PMS239,633 mi
5
19%9:17 AMESE9:53 PMWSW-3:37 PMS237,491 mi
6
28%10:11 AMESE10:43 PMWSW-4:29 PMS235,365 mi
7
39%11:02 AMESE11:31 PMW-5:18 PMS233,286 mi
8
50%11:51 AME--6:05 PMS231,314 mi
9
62%-12:17 AMW12:40 PME6:52 PMN229,550 mi
10
73%-1:04 AMW1:29 PME7:39 PMN228,138 mi
11
83%-1:51 AMW2:20 PMENE8:30 PMN227,248 mi
12
91%-2:41 AMWNW3:15 PMENE9:24 PMN227,050 mi
13
97%-3:35 AMWNW4:13 PMENE10:22 PMN227,674 mi
14
100%-4:34 AMWNW5:15 PMENE11:25 PMN229,173 mi
15
100%-5:35 AMWNW6:19 PMENE--
16
100%-6:38 AMWNW7:21 PMENE12:29 AMN231,488 mi
17
97%-7:39 AMWNW8:18 PMENE1:31 AMN234,450 mi
18
92%-8:36 AMWNW9:10 PMENE2:28 AMN237,802 mi
19
85%-9:27 AMWNW9:57 PMENE3:20 AMN241,249 mi
20
76%-10:14 AMWNW10:40 PME4:06 AMN244,500 mi
21
67%-10:57 AMW11:20 PME4:49 AMN247,299 mi
22
58%-11:38 AMW11:58 PME5:29 AMN249,448 mi
23
50%-12:18 PMW-6:08 AMN250,813 mi
24
38%12:36 AME12:58 PMW-6:46 AMS251,331 mi
25
29%1:14 AMESE1:40 PMWSW-7:26 AMS251,007 mi
26
21%1:55 AMESE2:24 PMWSW-8:09 AMS249,913 mi
27
13%2:39 AMESE3:12 PMWSW-8:54 AMS248,175 mi
28
7%3:27 AMESE4:04 PMWSW-9:44 AMS245,961 mi
29
3%4:20 AMESE4:59 PMWSW-10:38 AMS243,468 mi
30
0%5:15 AMESE5:56 PMWSW-11:36 AMS240,897 mi
31
0%6:13 AMESE6:53 PMWSW-12:34 PMS238,432 mi

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

The chance that a given day will be muggy in Butare is essentially constant during December, remaining within 1% of 7% throughout.

For reference, on April 4, the muggiest day of the year, there are muggy conditions 10% of the time, while on July 26, the least muggy day of the year, there are muggy conditions 0% of the time.

Humidity Comfort Levels in December in Butare

Humidity Comfort Levels in December in ButareDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%NovJanDec 17%Dec 17%Dec 318%Dec 318%Dec 117%Dec 117%Dec 217%Dec 217%muggymuggyhumidhumidcomfortablecomfortabledrydry
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Butare is gradually decreasing during December, decreasing from 4.6 miles per hour to 4.1 miles per hour over the course of the month.

For reference, on August 10, the windiest day of the year, the daily average wind speed is 6.8 miles per hour, while on January 19, the calmest day of the year, the daily average wind speed is 4.0 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in December in Butare

The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

The hourly average wind direction in Butare throughout December is predominantly from the east, with a peak proportion of 57% on December 3.

Wind Direction in December in Butare

Wind Direction in December in ButareDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NovJanwesteastnorthsouth
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

Temperatures in Butare are sufficiently warm year round that it is not entirely meaningful to discuss the growing season in these terms. We nevertheless include the chart below as an illustration of the distribution of temperatures experienced throughout the year.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in December in Butare

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in December in ButareDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%NovJan100%Dec 16100%Dec 16coolcomfortablewarm
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

The average accumulated growing degree days in Butare are rapidly increasing during December, increasing by 520°F, from 2,786°F to 3,307°F, over the course of the month.

Growing Degree Days in December in Butare

Growing Degree Days in December in ButareDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031312,600°F2,600°F2,700°F2,700°F2,800°F2,800°F2,900°F2,900°F3,000°F3,000°F3,100°F3,100°F3,200°F3,200°F3,300°F3,300°F3,400°F3,400°F3,500°F3,500°FNovJanDec 12,786°FDec 12,786°FDec 313,307°FDec 313,307°FDec 112,956°FDec 112,956°FDec 213,130°FDec 213,130°F
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of December, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy in Butare is essentially constant during December, remaining within 0.1 kWh of 5.4 kWh throughout.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in December in Butare

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in December in ButareDec11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWhNovJanDec 15.3 kWhDec 15.3 kWhDec 315.5 kWhDec 315.5 kWhDec 115.4 kWhDec 115.4 kWhDec 215.4 kWhDec 215.4 kWh
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Butare are -2.604 deg latitude, 29.743 deg longitude, and 5,699 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Butare contains significant variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 630 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 5,593 feet. Within 10 miles contains significant variations in elevation (3,330 feet). Within 50 miles also contains extreme variations in elevation (7,077 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Butare is covered by cropland (65%), trees (18%), and artificial surfaces (17%), within 10 miles by cropland (89%), and within 50 miles by cropland (67%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Butare, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

There is only a single weather station, Kigali International Airport, in our network suitable to be used as a proxy for the historical temperature and dew point records of Butare.

At a distance of 83 kilometers from Butare, closer than our threshold of 150 kilometers, this station is deemed sufficiently nearby to be relied upon as our primary source for temperature and dew point records.

The station records are corrected for the elevation difference between the station and Butare according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

Please note that the station records themselves may additionally have been back-filled using other nearby stations or the MERRA-2 reanalysis.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

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