Sanford weather in December: Sanford, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Sanford in December has a normal high of 55°F and a normal low of 33°F, a daily mean of 44°F, falling from 59°F on the 1st to 53°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal December, 3.14 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 13°C and low of 1°C, 80 mm of precipitation and 1 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationSanford (8 mi NE)
- Station IDUSC00317656
- Location35.54°N 79.05°W
- Elevation262 ft (80 m)
- From the center8 miles
- Population32,971
- Jan 53° 31°
- Feb 57° 33°
- Mar 65° 39°
- Apr 75° 47°
- May 81° 56°
- Jun 87° 64°
- Jul 90° 69°
- Aug 88° 67°
- Sep 83° 61°
- Oct 74° 49°
- Nov 63° 38°
- Dec 55° 33°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Sanford in December?
The normal high is 55°F and the normal low 33°F, for a daily mean of 44.2°F. December is 6.5°F cooler than November and 2.3°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Sanford and the 11th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 6°F, from 59°F on December 1 to 53°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 30%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 59°F | 35°F | 26% | 16% |
| December 8 | 57°F | 34°F | 27% | 17% |
| December 15 | 55°F | 33°F | 28% | 18% |
| December 22 | 54°F | 32°F | 29% | 19% |
| December 31 | 53°F | 31°F | 30% | 20% |
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 | 59°F | 35°F | 26% | 16% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 58°F | 35°F | 26% | 16% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 58°F | 35°F | 26% | 16% | 10 h |
| December 4 | 58°F | 35°F | 26% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 5 | 58°F | 35°F | 26% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 6 | 57°F | 35°F | 27% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 57°F | 34°F | 27% | 16% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 57°F | 34°F | 27% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 57°F | 34°F | 27% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 56°F | 34°F | 27% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 56°F | 34°F | 28% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 56°F | 34°F | 28% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 56°F | 34°F | 28% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 56°F | 33°F | 28% | 17% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 55°F | 33°F | 28% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 55°F | 33°F | 29% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 55°F | 33°F | 29% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 55°F | 33°F | 29% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 55°F | 33°F | 29% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 54°F | 33°F | 29% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 54°F | 33°F | 29% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 54°F | 32°F | 29% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 54°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 54°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 54°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 54°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 53°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 53°F | 32°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 53°F | 32°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 53°F | 32°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 53°F | 31°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 55°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 33°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.14 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.5 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 17
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 3
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00317656; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Sanford in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 28% on average, highest around December 27 (30%). In all, 3.14 in falls on 9 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Sanford, 17 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.5 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00317656.
What are the records for December in Sanford?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1972) is 80°F, on December 8, 1998; the coldest is 2°F, on December 25, 1983. The wettest December brought 8.66 in (2023); the snowiest, 5.5 inches (2010).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 44.2°F: 2021 51.0°F (+6.8), 2022 41.4°F (−2.8), 2023 47.0°F (+2.8), 2024 44.4°F (+0.1), 2025 44.1°F (−0.1). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51.0°F | +6.8°F | 2.97 in |
| 2022 | 41.4°F | −2.8°F | 3.45 in |
| 2023 | 47.0°F | +2.8°F | 8.66 in |
| 2024 | 44.4°F | +0.1°F | 2.15 in |
| 2025 | 44.1°F | −0.1°F | 2.14 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00317656; recent months: ACIS, station USC00317656. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Sanford 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; Sanford's is 55°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Sanford in November63°F by day, 38°F at night
- Sanford in January53°F by day, 31°F at night
- Sanford 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