ClimateForecastDecemberJanuary >>

North Carolina weather in December

Are you planning a trip to North Carolina in December and wondering what kind of weather to expect? This page has all the details you need.

What is the weather like in North Carolina in December?

North Carolina is a region in the United States of America. North Carolina offers a broad spectrum of weather patterns. In December, one might encounter temperatures that range from cold to moderate, and precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy. December falls during the winter season.

Based on our climate data spanning from 1990-2020, the average maximum temperature is cold in Beech Mountain at 7°C to moderate in Wilmington at 16°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 4°C in Wilmington and -2°C in Beech Mountain.

In December, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in Shallotte with an average of 91 mm to heavy rainfall in Highlands with 234 mm. Most areas experience a moderate amount of sunshine, with approximately 170 hours of sunlight expected in Charlotte. This makes it neither too gloomy nor overly bright.

For specific regional insights in North Carolina for December, refer to the map provided below. For an in-depth overview of the yearly weather conditions, do visit our North Carolina climate page.

Where to go in North Carolina in December

Find the average weather conditions in December for the most popular destinations in North Carolina on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailed information.

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Popular destinations in North Carolina

What is the weather like in December for the 5 most popular destinations in North Carolina?

Average weather in Charlotte

In December Charlotte generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 14°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Charlotte
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
17°C 
4°C 
180 hours 
96 mm 
8 days 
14°C 
2°C 
170 hours 
115 mm 
12 days 
January   >> January
>>  
11°C 
-1°C 
175 hours 
77 mm 
10 days 
Climate in Charlotte

Average weather in Manteo

In December Manteo generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 14°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 6°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Manteo
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
16°C 
9°C 
168 hours 
119 mm 
10 days 
14°C 
6°C 
141 hours 
108 mm 
12 days 
January   >> January
>>  
11°C 
2°C 
152 hours 
92 mm 
11 days 
Climate in Manteo

Average weather in Kill Devil Hills

In December Kill Devil Hills generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 14°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 7°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Kill Devil Hills
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
16°C 
10°C 
111 mm 
10 days 
14°C 
7°C 
104 mm 
12 days 
January   >> January
>>  
11°C 
3°C 
90 mm 
11 days 
Climate in Kill Devil Hills

Average weather in Nags Head

In December Nags Head generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 14°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 7°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Nags Head
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
16°C 
10°C 
114 mm 
11 days 
14°C 
7°C 
108 mm 
12 days 
January   >> January
>>  
11°C 
3°C 
93 mm 
11 days 
Climate in Nags Head

Average weather in Elizabeth City

In December Elizabeth City generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 14°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Elizabeth City
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
17°C 
6°C 
177 hours 
94 mm 
9 days 
14°C 
3°C 
163 hours 
106 mm 
10 days 
January   >> January
>>  
11°C 
-0°C 
173 hours 
81 mm 
11 days 
Climate in Elizabeth City

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in North Carolina, in the United States of America.

Is December the best time to visit North Carolina?

Given the typically unpleasant weather conditions in Charlotte, December may not be the ideal time to visit North Carolina.

On average, the best time to visit North Carolina is in April, May and October with generally perfect weather in Charlotte. On the other hand, the weather in January, February and December tend to be unpleasant.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in North Carolina. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

  • January      
  • February      
  • March      
  • April      
  • May      
  • June      
  • July      
  • August      
  • September      
  • October      
  • November      
  • December      
  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to the United States of America? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in the United States of America.

    Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.