Morganton weather in December: Morganton, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Morganton in December has a normal high of 52°F and a normal low of 30°F, a daily mean of 41°F, falling from 55°F on the 1st to 49°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 4.66 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 11°C and low of −1°C, 118 mm of precipitation and 4 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationMorganton
- Station IDUSC00315838
- Location35.73°N 81.67°W
- Elevation1,180 ft (360 m)
- Population17,825
- Jan 49° 28°
- Feb 53° 30°
- Mar 61° 37°
- Apr 71° 45°
- May 78° 54°
- Jun 85° 62°
- Jul 88° 66°
- Aug 86° 65°
- Sep 80° 59°
- Oct 71° 46°
- Nov 61° 35°
- Dec 52° 30°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Morganton in December?
The normal high is 52°F and the normal low 30°F, for a daily mean of 41.1°F. December is 6.8°F cooler than November and 2.4°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Morganton and the 3rd wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 6°F, from 55°F on December 1 to 49°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 3.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 37°F and 45°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 33%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 55°F | 32°F | 31% | 21% |
| December 8 | 53°F | 31°F | 32% | 22% |
| December 15 | 52°F | 30°F | 33% | 22% |
| December 22 | 50°F | 30°F | 33% | 23% |
| December 31 | 49°F | 29°F | 33% | 23% |
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 | 55°F | 32°F | 31% | 21% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 55°F | 32°F | 31% | 21% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 55°F | 32°F | 31% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 4 | 54°F | 32°F | 31% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 5 | 54°F | 32°F | 31% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 6 | 54°F | 31°F | 32% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 54°F | 31°F | 32% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 53°F | 31°F | 32% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 53°F | 31°F | 32% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 53°F | 31°F | 32% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 53°F | 31°F | 32% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 52°F | 31°F | 32% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 52°F | 31°F | 32% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 52°F | 31°F | 32% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 52°F | 30°F | 33% | 22% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 52°F | 30°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 51°F | 30°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 18 | 51°F | 30°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 19 | 51°F | 30°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 20 | 51°F | 30°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 21 | 51°F | 30°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 22 | 50°F | 30°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 23 | 50°F | 30°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 24 | 50°F | 29°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 25 | 50°F | 29°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 26 | 50°F | 29°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 27 | 50°F | 29°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 28 | 50°F | 29°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 29 | 50°F | 29°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 49°F | 29°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 49°F | 29°F | 33% | 23% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 52°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 30°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 4.66 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 1.6 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 20
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 72%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00315838; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Morganton in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 32% on average, highest around December 23 (33%). In all, 4.66 in falls on 10 days of a normal December, 2 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Morganton, 20 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 1.6 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00315838.
What are the records for December in Morganton?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 80°F, on December 4, 2021; the coldest is −10°F, on December 30, 1917. The wettest December brought 10.91 in (2018); the snowiest, 15.0 inches (1914).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 41.1°F: 2021 48.2°F (+7.1), 2022 39.1°F (−2.0), 2023 43.4°F (+2.3), 2024 41.0°F (−0.1), 2025 40.6°F (−0.5). 2 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48.2°F | +7.1°F | 0.91 in |
| 2022 | 39.1°F | −2.0°F | 3.62 in |
| 2023 | 43.4°F | +2.3°F | 8.25 in |
| 2024 | 41.0°F | −0.1°F | 5.58 in |
| 2025 | 40.6°F | −0.5°F | 2.52 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00315838; recent months: ACIS, station USC00315838. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Morganton 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; Morganton's is 52°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Morganton in November61°F by day, 35°F at night
- Morganton in January49°F by day, 28°F at night
- Morganton 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