Raleigh weather in December: Raleigh, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Raleigh in December has a normal high of 55°F and a normal low of 34°F, a daily mean of 45°F, falling from 58°F on the 1st to 52°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 3.39 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 13°C and low of 1°C, 86 mm of precipitation and 2 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationRaleigh-Durham International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013722
- Location35.89°N 78.78°W
- Elevation416 ft (127 m)
- From the center9 miles
- Population499,825
- Jan 52° 32°
- Feb 56° 34°
- Mar 63° 40°
- Apr 73° 49°
- May 80° 58°
- Jun 87° 66°
- Jul 91° 70°
- Aug 89° 69°
- Sep 83° 63°
- Oct 73° 50°
- Nov 63° 40°
- Dec 55° 34°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Raleigh in December?
The normal high is 55°F and the normal low 34°F, for a daily mean of 44.6°F. December is 6.9°F cooler than November and 2.7°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Raleigh and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 6°F, from 58°F on December 1 to 52°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 40°F and 49°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 | 58°F | 37°F | 29% | 17% |
| December 8 | 56°F | 36°F | 30% | 18% |
| December 15 | 55°F | 35°F | 32% | 19% |
| December 22 | 53°F | 34°F | 33% | 20% |
| December 31 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% |
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 | 58°F | 37°F | 29% | 17% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 58°F | 37°F | 29% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 3 | 58°F | 36°F | 29% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 4 | 57°F | 36°F | 29% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 5 | 57°F | 36°F | 30% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 6 | 57°F | 36°F | 30% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 57°F | 36°F | 30% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 56°F | 36°F | 30% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 56°F | 35°F | 31% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 56°F | 35°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 56°F | 35°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 55°F | 35°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 55°F | 35°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 55°F | 35°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 55°F | 35°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 16 | 55°F | 34°F | 32% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 17 | 54°F | 34°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 18 | 54°F | 34°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 19 | 54°F | 34°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 20 | 54°F | 34°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 21 | 54°F | 34°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 22 | 53°F | 34°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 23 | 53°F | 33°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 24 | 53°F | 33°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 25 | 53°F | 33°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 26 | 53°F | 33°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 27 | 53°F | 33°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 28 | 52°F | 33°F | 33% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 29 | 52°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 30 | 52°F | 33°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 31 | 52°F | 32°F | 33% | 21% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 55°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 34°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.39 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.8 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 15
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 3
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013722; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Raleigh in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 32% on average, highest around December 30 (33%). In all, 3.39 in falls on 10 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Raleigh, 15 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.8 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal December.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013722.
How humid and windy is Raleigh in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 51°F with 48% relative humidity and a dew point of 32°F; at 6 a.m. it is 37°F with 77% humidity. The wind averages 6.0 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. | 37°F | 31°F | 77% | 5.0 mph | 47% |
| 9 a.m. | 40°F | 32°F | 73% | 5.9 mph | 35% |
| noon | 48°F | 32°F | 54% | 8.5 mph | 29% |
| 3 p.m. | 51°F | 32°F | 48% | 8.3 mph | 31% |
| 6 p.m. | 46°F | 32°F | 58% | 5.2 mph | 37% |
| 9 p.m. | 42°F | 32°F | 68% | 5.0 mph | 43% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013722. 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 Raleigh?
The warmest December temperature on Raleigh's official record (since 1887) is 81°F, on December 10, 2007; the coldest is 0°F, on December 30, 1917. The wettest December brought 7.78 in (1907); the snowiest, 10.8 inches (1935).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 44.6°F: 2021 52.6°F (+8.0), 2022 43.2°F (−1.4), 2023 49.2°F (+4.6), 2024 46.3°F (+1.7), 2025 42.1°F (−2.5). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 52.6°F | +8.0°F | 1.63 in |
| 2022 | 43.2°F | −1.4°F | 3.64 in |
| 2023 | 49.2°F | +4.6°F | 7.01 in |
| 2024 | 46.3°F | +1.7°F | 2.05 in |
| 2025 | 42.1°F | −2.5°F | 2.00 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record RDUthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013722. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Raleigh 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; Raleigh's is 55°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Raleigh in November63°F by day, 40°F at night
- Raleigh in January52°F by day, 32°F at night
- Raleigh 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