Winston-Salem weather in December: Winston-Salem, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Winston-Salem in December has a normal high of 52°F and a normal low of 34°F, a daily mean of 43°F, falling from 55°F on the 1st to 49°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal December, 3.30 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 11°C and low of 1°C, 84 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationWinston Salem Rynlds Airport
- Station IDUSW00093807
- Location36.13°N 80.22°W
- Elevation970 ft (296 m)
- Population255,769
- Jan 49° 31°
- Feb 53° 33°
- Mar 61° 40°
- Apr 71° 48°
- May 78° 57°
- Jun 85° 65°
- Jul 88° 69°
- Aug 86° 68°
- Sep 80° 61°
- Oct 71° 49°
- Nov 60° 39°
- Dec 52° 34°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Winston-Salem in December?
The normal high is 52°F and the normal low 34°F, for a daily mean of 42.6°F. December is 7.0°F cooler than November and 2.8°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Winston-Salem and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 6°F, from 55°F on December 1 to 49°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 39°F and 47°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 31%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 55°F | 36°F | 30% | 18% |
| December 8 | 53°F | 35°F | 30% | 19% |
| December 15 | 52°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% |
| December 22 | 50°F | 33°F | 30% | 20% |
| December 31 | 49°F | 32°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 | 55°F | 36°F | 30% | 18% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 2 | 55°F | 36°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 3 | 55°F | 36°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 4 | 54°F | 35°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 5 | 54°F | 35°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 6 | 54°F | 35°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 7 | 54°F | 35°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 8 | 53°F | 35°F | 30% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 9 | 53°F | 35°F | 31% | 19% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 10 | 53°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 11 | 53°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 12 | 52°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 13 | 52°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 14 | 52°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 15 | 52°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 16 | 52°F | 34°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 17 | 51°F | 33°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 18 | 51°F | 33°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 19 | 51°F | 33°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 20 | 51°F | 33°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 21 | 51°F | 33°F | 31% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 22 | 50°F | 33°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 23 | 50°F | 33°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 24 | 50°F | 32°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 25 | 50°F | 32°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 26 | 50°F | 32°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 27 | 50°F | 32°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 28 | 49°F | 32°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 29 | 49°F | 32°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 30 | 49°F | 32°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 31 | 49°F | 32°F | 30% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 52°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 34°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 3.30 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 16
- 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 USW00093807; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Winston-Salem in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 30% on average, highest around December 14 (31%). In all, 3.30 in falls on 9 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Winston-Salem, 16 nights fall to freezing and 1 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093807.
What are the records for December in Winston-Salem?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1899) is 79°F, on December 18, 1924; the coldest is −3°F, on December 31, 1935. The wettest December brought 6.63 in (1945); the snowiest, 21.0 inches (1930).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 42.6°F: 2021 51.5°F (+8.9), 2022 40.9°F (−1.7), 2023 45.0°F (+2.4), 2024 42.7°F (+0.1), 2025 41.8°F (−0.8). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51.5°F | +8.9°F | 1.56 in |
| 2022 | 40.9°F | −1.7°F | 3.72 in |
| 2023 | 45.0°F | +2.4°F | 6.33 in |
| 2024 | 42.7°F | +0.1°F | 2.99 in |
| 2025 | 41.8°F | −0.8°F | – |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093807; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093807. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Winston-Salem 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; Winston-Salem's is 52°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Winston-Salem in November60°F by day, 39°F at night
- Winston-Salem in January49°F by day, 31°F at night
- Winston-Salem 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