Wilmington, NC weather in December
December in Wilmington: cool, with some rain. Highs 60°F, lows 39°F, about 10 days with rain. It is one of the coolest months in Wilmington.
- Normal high
- 60°F
- Normal low
- 39°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 3.7 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 63°F | 58°F |
| Normal low | 41°F | 37°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 31% | 32% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:59 am / 5:02 pm | 7:17 am / 5:11 pm |
| Daylight | 10.0 h | 9.9 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Eastern Time).
A typical December day
- 6 am43°Fdew point 38°F
- 9 am47°Fdew point 39°F
- Noon55°Fdew point 39°F
- 3 pm57°Fdew point 39°F
- 6 pm51°Fdew point 40°F
- 9 pm47°Fdew point 40°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from New River Mcaf (46 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 47% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 43%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F9 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph0 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow10 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in6 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below9 of 31
Average days per December, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in December
Normal precipitation is 3.7 in; a dry December brings about 2.3 in and a wet one about 4.8 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more. Snow is very rare.
How December varies from year to year
- Warmest December, 1991-20202015: average high 71°F
- Coolest December2010: average high 48°F
- Wettest December2009: 8.9 in
- Driest December2011: 0.6 in
- Highest reading82°F (December 8, 1998)
- Lowest reading17°F (December 15, 2010)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
December compared with November and January
| November | December | January | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 67°F | 60°F | 57°F |
| Normal low | 45°F | 39°F | 36°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Comfortable days | 15 | 9 | 8 |
| Daylight | 10.4 h | 9.9 h | 10.2 h |
Highs change by -7°F from November and -3°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Drier: Nags Head, NC178 mi · high 55°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: Raleigh, NC114 mi · high 55°F · 8 wet days
How Wilmington ranks in December
- Normal high109th warmest of 378 cities; 1st of 10 in North Carolina
- Wet days212th driest of 378
- Comfortable days85th most of 340
What to pack for Wilmington in December
- A warm jacket – lows near 39°F, highs near 60°F
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 10 days
Heating and cooling
December has 481 heating degree days and 7 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 11% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Wilmington in December?
The normal high is 60°F and the normal low is 39°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest December reading was 17°F (most recently on December 15, 2010).
Does it rain a lot in Wilmington in December?
About 10 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.7 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2009 (8.9 in); the driest was in 2011 (0.6 in).
Does it snow in Wilmington in December?
Snow is very rare: the 1991-2020 normal for December rounds to 0.0 in.
Is December a good time to visit Wilmington?
December ranks 7th of 12 months on our comfort score for Wilmington (53 out of 100). It has about 9 comfortable days. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Wilmington Intl Airport (USW00013748), 3.9 mi NE of the city center, 33 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: New River Mcaf (USW00093727), 46 mi NE of the city center, 26 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Jacksonville (723096-93727), 44 mi NE of the city center, 26 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.