Murphy weather in December: Murphy, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Murphy in December has a normal high of 53°F and a normal low of 28°F, a daily mean of 41°F, falling from 56°F on the 1st to 50°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal December, 5.99 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 12°C and low of −2°C, 152 mm of precipitation and 5 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationMurphy (4 mi ESE)
- Station IDUSC00316001
- Location35.07°N 83.97°W
- Elevation1,600 ft (488 m)
- Population1,693
- Jan 50° 25°
- Feb 54° 28°
- Mar 62° 34°
- Apr 71° 41°
- May 78° 51°
- Jun 84° 59°
- Jul 87° 63°
- Aug 86° 62°
- Sep 81° 56°
- Oct 72° 43°
- Nov 61° 33°
- Dec 53° 28°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Murphy in December?
The normal high is 53°F and the normal low 28°F, for a daily mean of 40.5°F. December is 6.6°F cooler than November and 3.0°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Murphy and the wettest, and the snowiest. Across the month the normal high falls 6°F, from 56°F on December 1 to 50°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.0°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 39%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 56°F | 30°F | 35% | 27% |
| December 8 | 54°F | 29°F | 37% | 29% |
| December 15 | 53°F | 29°F | 38% | 30% |
| December 22 | 51°F | 28°F | 39% | 30% |
| December 31 | 50°F | 27°F | 39% | 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 | 56°F | 30°F | 35% | 27% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 56°F | 30°F | 35% | 28% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 56°F | 30°F | 36% | 28% | 10 h |
| December 4 | 55°F | 30°F | 36% | 28% | 10 h |
| December 5 | 55°F | 30°F | 36% | 28% | 10 h |
| December 6 | 55°F | 30°F | 36% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 55°F | 29°F | 37% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 54°F | 29°F | 37% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 54°F | 29°F | 37% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 54°F | 29°F | 37% | 29% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 54°F | 29°F | 38% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 53°F | 29°F | 38% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 53°F | 29°F | 38% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 53°F | 29°F | 38% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 53°F | 29°F | 38% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 52°F | 29°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 52°F | 28°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 52°F | 28°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 52°F | 28°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 52°F | 28°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 52°F | 28°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 51°F | 28°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 51°F | 28°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 51°F | 28°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 51°F | 27°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 51°F | 27°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 51°F | 27°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 51°F | 27°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 50°F | 27°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 50°F | 27°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 50°F | 27°F | 39% | 30% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 53°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 28°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 5.99 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 1.9 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 21
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 68%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00316001; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Murphy in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 38% on average, highest around December 29 (39%). In all, 5.99 in falls on 12 days of a normal December, 2 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Murphy, 21 nights fall to freezing, 1 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 1.9 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 1 day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00316001.
What are the records for December in Murphy?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1873) is 77°F, on December 12, 2007; the coldest is 0°F, on December 20, 1981. The wettest December brought 13.43 in (2015); the snowiest, 14.5 inches (1876).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 40.5°F: 2021 48.1°F (+7.6), 2022 40.5°F (at normal), 2023 42.8°F (+2.3), 2024 41.1°F (+0.6), 2025 41.1°F (+0.6). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48.1°F | +7.6°F | 5.06 in |
| 2022 | 40.5°F | at normal | 6.00 in |
| 2023 | 42.8°F | +2.3°F | 4.44 in |
| 2024 | 41.1°F | +0.6°F | 5.76 in |
| 2025 | 41.1°F | +0.6°F | 2.03 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00316001; recent months: ACIS, station USC00316001. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Murphy 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; Murphy's is 53°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Murphy in November61°F by day, 33°F at night
- Murphy in January50°F by day, 25°F at night
- Murphy 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