Memphis weather in December: Memphis, Tennessee: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Memphis in December has a normal high of 53°F and a normal low of 36°F, a daily mean of 45°F, falling from 57°F on the 1st to 51°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 5.49 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 12°C and low of 2°C, 139 mm of precipitation and 1 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationMemphis International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013893
- Location35.06°N 89.99°W
- Elevation254 ft (77 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population610,919
- Jan 51° 33°
- Feb 56° 37°
- Mar 64° 44°
- Apr 73° 53°
- May 82° 62°
- Jun 89° 70°
- Jul 92° 74°
- Aug 92° 73°
- Sep 86° 66°
- Oct 75° 54°
- Nov 63° 43°
- Dec 53° 36°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Memphis in December?
The normal high is 53°F and the normal low 36°F, for a daily mean of 44.8°F. December is 7.9°F cooler than November and 2.7°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Memphis and the 3rd wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 6°F, from 57°F on December 1 to 51°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 41°F and 48°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 | 57°F | 39°F | 32% | 22% |
| December 8 | 55°F | 37°F | 33% | 23% |
| December 15 | 53°F | 36°F | 33% | 23% |
| December 22 | 52°F | 35°F | 34% | 23% |
| December 31 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 22% |
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 | 57°F | 39°F | 32% | 22% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 57°F | 39°F | 32% | 22% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 56°F | 38°F | 32% | 22% | 10 h |
| December 4 | 56°F | 38°F | 32% | 23% | 10 h |
| December 5 | 56°F | 38°F | 32% | 23% | 10 h |
| December 6 | 56°F | 38°F | 32% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 55°F | 38°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 55°F | 37°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 55°F | 37°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 55°F | 37°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 54°F | 37°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 54°F | 37°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 54°F | 37°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 54°F | 36°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 53°F | 36°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 53°F | 36°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 53°F | 36°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 53°F | 36°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 53°F | 36°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 52°F | 36°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 52°F | 35°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 52°F | 35°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 52°F | 35°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 52°F | 35°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 52°F | 35°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 51°F | 35°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 51°F | 35°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 51°F | 34°F | 34% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 53°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 36°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 5.49 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 12
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 67%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013893; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Memphis in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around December 26 (34%). In all, 5.49 in falls on 10 days of a normal December, 2 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Memphis, 12 nights fall to freezing, 1 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 0.2 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013893.
How humid and windy is Memphis in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 48°F with 56% relative humidity and a dew point of 33°F; at 6 a.m. it is 38°F with 78% humidity. The wind averages 8.7 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. | 38°F | 32°F | 78% | 8.0 mph | 36% |
| 9 a.m. | 41°F | 33°F | 73% | 9.6 mph | 27% |
| noon | 46°F | 33°F | 60% | 10.0 mph | 26% |
| 3 p.m. | 48°F | 33°F | 56% | 10.3 mph | 27% |
| 6 p.m. | 44°F | 33°F | 65% | 8.3 mph | 34% |
| 9 p.m. | 42°F | 33°F | 71% | 7.9 mph | 40% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013893. 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 Memphis?
The warmest December temperature on Memphis's official record (since 1875) is 81°F, on December 2, 1982; the coldest is −13°F, on December 24, 1963. The wettest December brought 13.81 in (1982); the snowiest, 14.3 inches (1963).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 44.8°F: 2021 57.2°F (+12.4), 2022 44.9°F (+0.1), 2023 49.0°F (+4.2), 2024 47.7°F (+2.9), 2025 45.2°F (+0.4). 5 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57.2°F | +12.4°F | 4.52 in |
| 2022 | 44.9°F | +0.1°F | 5.95 in |
| 2023 | 49.0°F | +4.2°F | 2.60 in |
| 2024 | 47.7°F | +2.9°F | 10.02 in |
| 2025 | 45.2°F | +0.4°F | 1.52 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MEMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013893. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Memphis compare across Tennessee?
Across the 116 places PlainClimate covers in Tennessee, December normal highs run from 47°F in Monterey to 55°F in Ardmore; Memphis's is 53°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.