Highlands weather in December: Highlands, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Highlands in December has a normal high of 45°F and a normal low of 27°F, a daily mean of 36°F, falling from 49°F on the 1st to 43°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 14 days in a normal December, 8.65 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 7°C and low of −3°C, 220 mm of precipitation and 9 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationHighlands
- Station IDUSC00314055
- Location35.06°N 83.20°W
- Elevation3,850 ft (1,174 m)
- From the centerunder 1 mile
- Population1,119
- Jan 42° 24°
- Feb 46° 26°
- Mar 54° 32°
- Apr 62° 39°
- May 69° 47°
- Jun 75° 54°
- Jul 78° 58°
- Aug 76° 57°
- Sep 71° 51°
- Oct 63° 41°
- Nov 53° 32°
- Dec 45° 27°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Highlands in December?
The normal high is 45°F and the normal low 27°F, for a daily mean of 36.1°F. December is 6.3°F cooler than November and 3.0°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Highlands and the wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 6°F, from 49°F on December 1 to 43°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 32°F and 40°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 47%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 49°F | 29°F | 41% | 27% |
| December 8 | 47°F | 28°F | 43% | 28% |
| December 15 | 45°F | 27°F | 45% | 29% |
| December 22 | 44°F | 26°F | 46% | 30% |
| December 31 | 43°F | 25°F | 47% | 30% |
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 | 49°F | 29°F | 41% | 27% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 48°F | 29°F | 41% | 27% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 48°F | 29°F | 41% | 27% | 10 h |
| December 4 | 48°F | 29°F | 42% | 27% | 10 h |
| December 5 | 48°F | 29°F | 42% | 28% | 10 h |
| December 6 | 47°F | 28°F | 42% | 28% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 47°F | 28°F | 43% | 28% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 47°F | 28°F | 43% | 28% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 46°F | 28°F | 43% | 28% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 46°F | 28°F | 43% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 46°F | 28°F | 44% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 46°F | 28°F | 44% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 46°F | 28°F | 44% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 45°F | 27°F | 45% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 45°F | 27°F | 45% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 45°F | 27°F | 45% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 45°F | 27°F | 45% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 45°F | 27°F | 46% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 44°F | 27°F | 46% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 44°F | 27°F | 46% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 44°F | 27°F | 46% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 44°F | 26°F | 46% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 44°F | 26°F | 47% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 43°F | 26°F | 47% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 43°F | 26°F | 47% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 43°F | 26°F | 47% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 43°F | 26°F | 47% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 43°F | 26°F | 47% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 43°F | 25°F | 47% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 43°F | 25°F | 47% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 43°F | 25°F | 47% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 45°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 27°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 8.65 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 140.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 3.5 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 23
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 68%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00314055; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Highlands in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 45% on average, highest around December 28 (47%). In all, 8.65 in falls on 14 days of a normal December, 3 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Highlands, 23 nights fall to freezing, 3 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 3.5 inches.
Snow falls on 2 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 2 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00314055.
What are the records for December in Highlands?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 75°F, on December 18, 1924; the coldest is −12°F, on December 30, 1917. The wettest December brought 21.55 in (2015); the snowiest, 16.0 inches (2017).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 36.1°F: 2021 44.4°F (+8.3), 2022 35.5°F (−0.6), 2023 38.2°F (+2.1), 2024 36.7°F (+0.6), 2025 36.9°F (+0.8). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44.4°F | +8.3°F | 4.35 in |
| 2022 | 35.5°F | −0.6°F | 8.03 in |
| 2023 | 38.2°F | +2.1°F | 12.77 in |
| 2024 | 36.7°F | +0.6°F | 13.00 in |
| 2025 | 36.9°F | +0.8°F | 3.87 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00314055; recent months: ACIS, station USC00314055. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Highlands compare across North Carolina?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in North Carolina, December normal highs run from 39°F in Beech Mountain to 63°F in Southport; Highlands's is 45°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Highlands in November53°F by day, 32°F at night
- Highlands in January42°F by day, 24°F at night
- Highlands through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- North Carolina in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Southport: North Carolina's warmest Decembernormal high 63°F