Roanoke weather in December: Roanoke, Virginia: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Roanoke in December has a normal high of 50°F and a normal low of 32°F, a daily mean of 41°F, falling from 53°F on the 1st to 48°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal December, 3.08 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 10°C and low of 0°C, 78 mm of precipitation and 8 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationRoanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00013741
- Location37.32°N 79.97°W
- Elevation1,175 ft (358 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population97,912
- Jan 47° 29°
- Feb 51° 31°
- Mar 59° 38°
- Apr 70° 46°
- May 77° 55°
- Jun 84° 63°
- Jul 88° 67°
- Aug 87° 66°
- Sep 80° 59°
- Oct 70° 48°
- Nov 59° 38°
- Dec 50° 32°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Roanoke in December?
The normal high is 50°F and the normal low 32°F, for a daily mean of 40.9°F. December is 7.5°F cooler than November and 3.0°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Roanoke and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 5°F, from 53°F on December 1 to 48°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 30%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 53°F | 34°F | 28% | 18% |
| December 8 | 51°F | 33°F | 29% | 19% |
| December 15 | 50°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% |
| December 22 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% |
| December 31 | 48°F | 30°F | 30% | 19% |
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 | 53°F | 34°F | 28% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 2 | 53°F | 34°F | 28% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 3 | 53°F | 34°F | 28% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 4 | 53°F | 34°F | 28% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 52°F | 33°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 52°F | 33°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 7 | 52°F | 33°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 8 | 51°F | 33°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 51°F | 33°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 10 | 51°F | 33°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 11 | 51°F | 32°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 12 | 51°F | 32°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 13 | 50°F | 32°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 14 | 50°F | 32°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 15 | 50°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 16 | 50°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 17 | 50°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 18 | 49°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 19 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 20 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 21 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 22 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 23 | 49°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 24 | 48°F | 31°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 25 | 48°F | 31°F | 30% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 26 | 48°F | 30°F | 30% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 27 | 48°F | 30°F | 30% | 18% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 28 | 48°F | 30°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 29 | 48°F | 30°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 30 | 48°F | 30°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 31 | 48°F | 30°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 50°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 32°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.08 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 3.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 18
- Daylight
- 9 h 50 min to 9 h 40 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013741; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Roanoke in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 29% on average, highest around December 30 (30%). In all, 3.08 in falls on 9 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Roanoke, 18 nights fall to freezing, 1 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 3.2 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day 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 USW00013741.
How humid and windy is Roanoke in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 45°F with 47% relative humidity and a dew point of 26°F; at 6 a.m. it is 35°F with 69% humidity. The wind averages 7.4 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. | 35°F | 25°F | 69% | 6.6 mph | 52% |
| 9 a.m. | 36°F | 26°F | 66% | 6.9 mph | 42% |
| noon | 42°F | 26°F | 53% | 9.0 mph | 45% |
| 3 p.m. | 45°F | 26°F | 47% | 9.4 mph | 45% |
| 6 p.m. | 41°F | 26°F | 53% | 7.4 mph | 51% |
| 9 p.m. | 38°F | 26°F | 60% | 6.8 mph | 53% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013741. 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 Roanoke?
The warmest December temperature on Roanoke's official record (since 1912) is 80°F, on December 6, 1998; the coldest is −12°F, on December 30, 1917. The wettest December brought 8.22 in (2009); the snowiest, 22.6 inches (1966).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 40.9°F: 2021 48.2°F (+7.3), 2022 38.6°F (−2.3), 2023 44.8°F (+3.9), 2024 39.1°F (−1.8), 2025 38.0°F (−2.9). 2 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48.2°F | +7.3°F | 0.69 in |
| 2022 | 38.6°F | −2.3°F | 3.98 in |
| 2023 | 44.8°F | +3.9°F | 4.36 in |
| 2024 | 39.1°F | −1.8°F | 3.09 in |
| 2025 | 38.0°F | −2.9°F | 2.13 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ROAthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013741. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Roanoke compare across Virginia?
Across the 81 places PlainClimate covers in Virginia, December normal highs run from 43°F in Hot Springs to 58°F in Chesapeake; Roanoke's is 50°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.