Wilmington weather in December: Wilmington, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Wilmington in December has a normal high of 60°F and a normal low of 39°F, a daily mean of 50°F, falling from 63°F on the 1st to 58°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal December, 3.69 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 16°C and low of 4°C, 94 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationWilmington Int'l Airport
- Station IDUSW00013748
- Location34.27°N 77.90°W
- Elevation33 ft (10 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population125,284
- Jan 57° 36°
- Feb 60° 38°
- Mar 67° 44°
- Apr 75° 53°
- May 81° 61°
- Jun 87° 69°
- Jul 90° 73°
- Aug 88° 72°
- Sep 84° 67°
- Oct 76° 56°
- Nov 67° 45°
- Dec 60° 39°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Wilmington in December?
The normal high is 60°F and the normal low 39°F, for a daily mean of 49.7°F. December is 6.4°F cooler than November and 2.9°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Wilmington and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 5°F, from 63°F on December 1 to 58°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 45°F and 54°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 32%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 63°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% |
| December 8 | 62°F | 40°F | 31% | 20% |
| December 15 | 60°F | 39°F | 32% | 20% |
| December 22 | 59°F | 38°F | 32% | 20% |
| December 31 | 58°F | 37°F | 32% | 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 | 63°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 63°F | 41°F | 30% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 63°F | 41°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 4 | 63°F | 41°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 5 | 62°F | 41°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 6 | 62°F | 41°F | 31% | 19% | 10 h |
| December 7 | 62°F | 40°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| December 8 | 62°F | 40°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| December 9 | 62°F | 40°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| December 10 | 61°F | 40°F | 31% | 20% | 10 h |
| December 11 | 61°F | 40°F | 32% | 20% | 10 h |
| December 12 | 61°F | 40°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 13 | 61°F | 40°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 14 | 61°F | 39°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 60°F | 39°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 60°F | 39°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 60°F | 39°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 60°F | 39°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 60°F | 39°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 59°F | 39°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 59°F | 38°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 59°F | 38°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 59°F | 38°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 59°F | 38°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 59°F | 38°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 59°F | 38°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 58°F | 38°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 58°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 58°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 58°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 58°F | 37°F | 32% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 60°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 39°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.69 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 9
- Daylight
- 10 h to 9 h 50 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 6
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013748; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Wilmington in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 31% on average, highest around December 21 (32%). In all, 3.69 in falls on 10 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Wilmington, 9 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013748.
What are the records for December in Wilmington?
The warmest December temperature on Wilmington's official record (since 1874) is 82°F, on December 8, 1998; the coldest is 0°F, on December 25, 1989. The wettest December brought 8.86 in (2009); the snowiest, 15.3 inches (1989).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 49.7°F: 2021 58.5°F (+8.8), 2022 49.4°F (−0.3), 2023 52.1°F (+2.4), 2024 49.4°F (−0.3), 2025 46.4°F (−3.4). 2 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 58.5°F | +8.8°F | 2.53 in |
| 2022 | 49.4°F | −0.3°F | 2.17 in |
| 2023 | 52.1°F | +2.4°F | 8.18 in |
| 2024 | 49.4°F | −0.3°F | 1.84 in |
| 2025 | 46.4°F | −3.4°F | 3.41 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ILMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013748. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Wilmington 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; Wilmington's is 60°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Wilmington in November67°F by day, 45°F at night
- Wilmington in January57°F by day, 36°F at night
- Wilmington 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