Charleston weather in December: Charleston, South Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Charleston in December has a normal high of 63°F and a normal low of 42°F, a daily mean of 52°F, falling from 66°F on the 1st to 61°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal December, 3.35 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 17°C and low of 5°C, 85 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationCharleston International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013880
- Location32.90°N 80.04°W
- Elevation40 ft (12 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population157,665
- Jan 60° 39°
- Feb 64° 42°
- Mar 70° 47°
- Apr 77° 55°
- May 84° 63°
- Jun 89° 70°
- Jul 91° 74°
- Aug 90° 73°
- Sep 85° 68°
- Oct 78° 58°
- Nov 69° 47°
- Dec 63° 42°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Charleston in December?
The normal high is 63°F and the normal low 42°F, for a daily mean of 52.2°F. December is 6.1°F cooler than November and 2.7°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Charleston and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 5°F, from 66°F on December 1 to 61°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 48°F and 57°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 30%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 66°F | 44°F | 26% | 16% |
| December 8 | 64°F | 43°F | 28% | 17% |
| December 15 | 63°F | 42°F | 29% | 18% |
| December 22 | 62°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% |
| December 31 | 61°F | 40°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 | 66°F | 44°F | 26% | 16% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 2 | 65°F | 44°F | 26% | 16% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 3 | 65°F | 43°F | 27% | 16% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 4 | 65°F | 43°F | 27% | 16% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 5 | 65°F | 43°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 6 | 64°F | 43°F | 28% | 17% | 10 h 10 min |
| December 7 | 64°F | 43°F | 28% | 17% | 10 h |
| December 8 | 64°F | 43°F | 28% | 17% | 10 h |
| December 9 | 64°F | 43°F | 28% | 17% | 10 h |
| December 10 | 64°F | 42°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 11 | 63°F | 42°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 12 | 63°F | 42°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 13 | 63°F | 42°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 14 | 63°F | 42°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 15 | 63°F | 42°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 16 | 63°F | 42°F | 29% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 17 | 62°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 18 | 62°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 19 | 62°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 20 | 62°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 21 | 62°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 22 | 62°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 23 | 62°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 24 | 61°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 25 | 61°F | 40°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 26 | 61°F | 40°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 27 | 61°F | 40°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 28 | 61°F | 40°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 29 | 61°F | 40°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 30 | 61°F | 40°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 31 | 61°F | 40°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 63°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 42°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.35 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 6
- Daylight
- 10 h 10 min to 10 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 8
- Days at 80°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 76%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013880; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Charleston in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 29% on average, highest around December 22 (30%). In all, 3.35 in falls on 9 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Charleston, 6 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013880.
How humid and windy is Charleston in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 59°F with 50% relative humidity and a dew point of 41°F; at 6 a.m. it is 45°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 7.6 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 45°F | 40°F | 82% | 6.6 mph | 58% |
| 9 a.m. | 48°F | 41°F | 77% | 8.0 mph | 49% |
| noon | 56°F | 41°F | 56% | 9.4 mph | 46% |
| 3 p.m. | 59°F | 41°F | 50% | 9.8 mph | 46% |
| 6 p.m. | 53°F | 42°F | 65% | 7.4 mph | 52% |
| 9 p.m. | 49°F | 42°F | 76% | 6.6 mph | 56% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013880. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for December in Charleston?
The warmest December temperature on Charleston's official record (since 1937) is 83°F, on December 11, 1972; the coldest is 8°F, on December 13, 1962. The wettest December brought 11.08 in (1941); the snowiest, 8.0 inches (1989).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 52.2°F: 2021 59.2°F (+7.0), 2022 52.1°F (−0.1), 2023 54.6°F (+2.4), 2024 51.4°F (−0.8), 2025 51.0°F (−1.2). 2 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59.2°F | +7.0°F | 3.35 in |
| 2022 | 52.1°F | −0.1°F | 1.64 in |
| 2023 | 54.6°F | +2.4°F | 6.88 in |
| 2024 | 51.4°F | −0.8°F | 2.44 in |
| 2025 | 51.0°F | −1.2°F | 1.68 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CHSthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013880. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Charleston compare across South Carolina?
Across the 73 places PlainClimate covers in South Carolina, December normal highs run from 48°F in Caesars Head to 64°F in Hampton; Charleston's is 63°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Charleston in November69°F by day, 47°F at night
- Charleston in January60°F by day, 39°F at night
- Charleston through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- South Carolina in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Hampton: South Carolina's warmest Decembernormal high 64°F