Columbia weather in December: Columbia, South Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Columbia in December has a normal high of 59°F and a normal low of 37°F, a daily mean of 48°F, falling from 62°F on the 1st to 57°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal December, 3.70 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 15°C and low of 3°C, 94 mm of precipitation and 0 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationColumbia Metropolitan Airport
- Station IDUSW00013883
- Location33.95°N 81.12°W
- Elevation231 ft (70 m)
- Population144,788
- Jan 57° 35°
- Feb 61° 37°
- Mar 68° 44°
- Apr 77° 52°
- May 84° 61°
- Jun 90° 69°
- Jul 93° 72°
- Aug 91° 71°
- Sep 86° 65°
- Oct 77° 53°
- Nov 66° 42°
- Dec 59° 37°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Columbia in December?
The normal high is 59°F and the normal low 37°F, for a daily mean of 47.7°F. December is 6.3°F cooler than November and 2.0°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Columbia and the 5th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 5°F, from 62°F on December 1 to 57°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 43°F and 52°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 32%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 62°F | 38°F | 26% | 17% |
| December 8 | 60°F | 37°F | 28% | 18% |
| December 15 | 59°F | 37°F | 30% | 19% |
| December 22 | 58°F | 36°F | 31% | 20% |
| December 31 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% |
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 | 62°F | 38°F | 26% | 17% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 62°F | 38°F | 26% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 61°F | 38°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 4 | 61°F | 38°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 5 | 61°F | 38°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 6 | 61°F | 38°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 7 | 60°F | 38°F | 28% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 8 | 60°F | 37°F | 28% | 18% | 10 h |
| December 9 | 60°F | 37°F | 28% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 10 | 60°F | 37°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 11 | 60°F | 37°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 12 | 59°F | 37°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 13 | 59°F | 37°F | 29% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 14 | 59°F | 37°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 15 | 59°F | 37°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 59°F | 36°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 59°F | 36°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 58°F | 36°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 58°F | 36°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 58°F | 36°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 58°F | 36°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 58°F | 36°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 58°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 58°F | 36°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 57°F | 35°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 59°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 37°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.70 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.1 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 12
- Daylight
- 10 h to 10 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 5
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013883; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Columbia in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 30% on average, highest around December 31 (32%). In all, 3.70 in falls on 9 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Columbia, 12 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013883.
How humid and windy is Columbia in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 56°F with 47% relative humidity and a dew point of 36°F; at 6 a.m. it is 40°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 5.8 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. | 40°F | 35°F | 80% | 4.7 mph | 52% |
| 9 a.m. | 43°F | 36°F | 77% | 5.3 mph | 43% |
| noon | 52°F | 36°F | 54% | 7.7 mph | 39% |
| 3 p.m. | 56°F | 36°F | 47% | 8.3 mph | 37% |
| 6 p.m. | 51°F | 37°F | 57% | 5.4 mph | 37% |
| 9 p.m. | 46°F | 37°F | 71% | 5.0 mph | 49% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013883. 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 Columbia?
The warmest December temperature on Columbia's official record (since 1887) is 83°F, on December 16, 1971; the coldest is 4°F, on December 12, 1958. The wettest December brought 9.31 in (2009); the snowiest, 9.1 inches (1958).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 47.7°F: 2021 54.8°F (+7.1), 2022 46.2°F (−1.5), 2023 49.4°F (+1.7), 2024 48.1°F (+0.4), 2025 46.6°F (−1.1). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 54.8°F | +7.1°F | 3.92 in |
| 2022 | 46.2°F | −1.5°F | 3.02 in |
| 2023 | 49.4°F | +1.7°F | 4.70 in |
| 2024 | 48.1°F | +0.4°F | 1.93 in |
| 2025 | 46.6°F | −1.1°F | 2.81 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CAEthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013883. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Columbia 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; Columbia's is 59°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Columbia in November66°F by day, 42°F at night
- Columbia in January57°F by day, 35°F at night
- Columbia 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