Last Updated: 1/5/2024- Updated with 2023 data.
December weather is arguably the least predictable of the three core winter months. As such, Decembers can either feel like an extension of fall, or the coldest depths of January.
December Weather Stats are for the period 1878-2023
1991-2020 December Normals
High: 41.5
Low: 27.4
Mean: 34.5
Precipitation: 3.13″
Snowfall: 5.1″
Temperature Records
Cold Records
Top 20 Decembers with the Coldest Average High
1. 1989: 28.0
2. 1963: 28.5
3. 1917: 28.7
4. 1880: 30.4
5. 2000: 30.5
6. 1983: 31.1
7. 2010: 31.8
8. 1878, 1935: 31.9
9. 32.3, 1958: 32.3
10. 1903: 32.4
11. 1910: 32.7
12. 1909: 33.0
13. 1950, 1976: 33.2
14. 1914, 1985: 33.5
15. 1969: 33.6
16. 1962: 33.7
17. 1919: 34.0
18. 1944, 1960: 34.3
19. 2005: 35.3
20. 1942: 35.5
Top 10 Coldest December Daily Highs
1. 12/29/1880, 12/25/1983: 1
2. 12/30/1880: 2
3. 12/9/1917, 12/10/1917, 12/24/1983, 12/22/1989: 4
4. 12/27/1925, 12/16/1951: 7
5. 12/28/1880, 12/16/1989, 12/22/2000: 8
6. 12/29/1917, 12/19/1963, 12/10/1977, 12/17/1989: 9
7. 12/25/1878, 12/31/1880, 12/16/1901, 12/15/1914, 12/31/1917, 12/12/1962, 12/30/1983: 10
8. 12/18/1901, 12/25/1924, 12/16/1932, 12/23/1960, 12/7/1977, 12/21/1989: 11
9. 12/24/1878, 12/20/1901, 12/21/1901, 12/28/1924, 12/27/1933, 12/16/1945, 12/22/1960, 12/23/1983: 12
10. 12/9/1880, 12/19/1884, 12/2/1886, 12/28/1894, 12/19/1901, 12/26/1925, 12/13/1962, 12/15/1963, 12/21/1963, 12/31/1976: 13
Top 20 Decembers with the Coldest Average Low
1. 1989: 11.6
2. 1917: 13.9
3. 1958: 14.5
4. 1963: 14.6
5. 1960: 15.9
6. 1962: 16.0
7. 2000: 16.1
8. 1976: 16.3
9. 1950: 16.4
10. 1903: 16.7
11. 1919: 18.1
12. 1886: 18.2
13. 1983, 1985: 18.5
14. 1909: 18.7
15. 1880: 18.9
16. 1969: 20.0
17. 1910: 20.3
18. 1878: 20.5
19. 1935: 20.6
20. 1924, 1945: 20.8
Top 10 Coldest December Lows
1. 12/22/1989: -17
2. 12/27/1950, 12/16/1951, 12/23/1989: -14
3. 12/30/1880, 12/24/1983, 12/25/1983, 12/17/1989: -12
4. 12/24/1989: -11
5. 12/29/1880, 12/28/1950, 12/17/1951, 12/20/1963, 12/21/1989: -10
6. 12/11/1917: -9
7. 12/19/1884, 12/9/1917, 12/10/1917, 12/30/1917, 12/10/1958, 12/11/1958, 12/21/1963: -8
8. 12/24/1878, 12/21/1901, 12/13/1960, 12/16/1989, 12/18/1989, 12/23/2022: -7
9. 12/16/1901, 12/27/1925, 12/22/1960: -6
10. 12/13/1962, 12/31/1976, 12/25/1980, 12/26/1983: -5
Top 20 Decembers with the Coldest Mean
1. 1989: 19.8
2. 1917: 21.3
3. 1963: 21.6
4. 2000: 23.3
5. 1958: 23.4
6. 1903: 24.5
7. 1880: 24.6
8. 1976: 24.7
9. 1950, 1983: 24.8
10. 1962: 24.9
11. 1960: 25.1
12. 1909: 25.9
13. 1919, 1985: 26.0
14. 1878: 26.2
15. 1935: 26.3
16. 1910, 1945, 2010: 26.5
17. 1969: 26.8
18. 1886: 27.1
19. 1914: 27.6
20. 1944: 27.9
Top 10 Coldest December Daily Means
1. 12/22/1989: -6.5
2. 12/25/1983: -5.5
3. 12/30/1880: -5.0
4. 12/29/1880: -4.5
5. 12/24/1983: -4.0
6. 12/16/1951: -3.5
7. 12/9/1917, 12/10/1917: -2.0
8. 12/17/1989: -1.5
9. 12/11/1917, 12/27/1925, 12/16/1989, 12/21/1989: 0.5
10. 12/30/1917, 12/23/1989: 1.0
Top 10 Decembers with the Most 32 and Below Highs
1. 2010: 22
2. 1963, 1989: 21
3. 1909: 20
4. 1950, 2000: 18
5. 1910, 1917, 1976: 16
6. 1880, 1945, 1962, 1995: 15
7. 1903, 1914, 1935, 1958, 1960, 1983: 14
8. 1878, 1892, 1904, 1944, 1985, 2005: 13
9. 1924, 1932, 1942, 1969: 12
10. 1886, 1890, 1893, 1898, 1899, 1902, 1916, 1919, 1926, 1930, 1955, 1961, 1968, 1970, 1977: 11
Top 5 Decembers with the Fewest 32 and Below Highs
1. 1889, 1923, 2015, 2023: 0
2. 1881, 1921, 1931, 1936, 1940, 1956, 1971, 1987, 1994, 2011, 2021: 1
3. 1891, 1911, 1941, 1957, 1965, 2006, 2018: 2
4. 1928, 1938, 1974, 1982, 1991, 1996, 1997, 2007, 2012, 2019, 2020: 3
5. 1879, 1905, 1908, 1912, 1913, 1918, 1949, 1953, 1959: 4
Top 10 Decembers with the Most 32 and Below Lows
1. 1962, 1976: 31
2. 1886, 1903, 1910, 1919, 1963, 1988, 1989: 30
3. 1950, 1958, 1960, 1969, 2000, 2010: 29
4. 1880, 1904, 1915, 1945: 28
5. 1908, 1909, 1944, 1954, 1978, 2009, 2017, 2020: 27
6. 1885, 1890, 1899, 1902, 1917, 1921, 1926, 1934, 1955, 1968, 1981, 1985, 2003, 2008: 26
7. 1878, 1898, 1916, 1925, 1935, 1942, 1961, 1983, 1995: 25
8. 1882, 1892, 1924, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1975, 1979, 1994: 24
9. 1893, 1906, 1912, 1914, 1922, 1927, 1930, 1932, 1939, 1951, 1953, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1980, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2013: 23
10. 1884, 1887, 1895, 1900, 1901, 1905, 1907, 1936, 1943, 1946, 1952, 1957, 1970, 1986, 1987, 2019: 22
Top 5 Decembers with the Fewest 32 and Below Lows
1. 1889: 9
2. 1881: 10
3. 2015: 11
4. 1923, 2023: 13
5. 1940: 14
Heat Records
Top 20 Decembers with the Warmest Average High
1. 2015: 52.5
2. 1889: 52.3
3. 2021: 50.5
4. 1923: 49.3
5. 2023: 48.4
6. 2006: 48.2
7. 1984: 48.0
8. 1891, 1931, 1956: 47.9
9. 1982: 47.5
10. 1881: 47.1
11. 1918: 46.9
12. 1971: 46.8
13. 1994: 46.5
14. 1998, 2019: 45.9
15. 1990: 45.8
16. 2012: 45.5
17. 1957: 45.4
18. 1940, 2011: 45.3
19. 1946: 45.0
20. 1949, 2001: 44.9
Top 10 Warmest Daily December Highs
1. 12/3/1982: 76
2. 12/6/1998: 73
3. 12/10/1971, 12/2/1982: 72
4. 12/6/1956, 12/5/2001: 70
5. 12/8/1966, 12/7/1998, 12/21/2013, 12/26/2016: 69
6. 12/31/1951, 12/4/1982, 12/28/1984, 12/27/2008, 12/22/2013, 12/12/2015: 68
7. 12/29/1889, 12/5/1909, 12/1/1970, 12/17/1984, 12/7/2004: 67
8. 12/24/1889, 12/11/1931, 12/9/1952, 12/27/1959, 12/11/2007, 12/27/2015, 12/2/2018: 66
9. 12/13/1901, 12/14/1901, 12/12/1949, 12/6/1951, 12/4/1953, 12/24/1964, 12/5/1982, 12/14/1995, 12/3/1998, 12/4/1998, 12/5/1998, 12/5/2013, 12/14/2015, 12/23/2015, 12/11/2021, 12/27/2021, 12/30/2022: 65
10. 12/7/1892, 12/25/1893, 12/9/1897, 12/13/1918, 12/8/1922, 12/16/1924, 12/13/1927, 12/24/1932, 12/5/1933, 12/4/1941, 12/9/1946, 12/15/1948, 12/3/1951, 12/7/1951, 12/4/1956, 12/5/1960, 12/4/1961, 12/1/1962, 12/21/1967, 12/15/1971, 12/28/1982, 12/16/1984, 12/29/1984, 12/1/2006, 12/28/2008, 12/13/2015: 64
Top 20 Decembers with the Warmest Average Low
1. 1889, 2015: 36.9
2. 2023: 35.3
3. 1923: 34.7
4. 1931: 34.3
5. 1881: 34.0
6. 1918: 33.9
7. 1956: 33.6
8. 2012: 33.4
9. 1982: 33.2
10. 2021: 33.1
11. 2011: 32.6
12. 1940, 1941: 32.3
13. 1891, 2006: 32.0
14. 2001: 31.8
15. 1911: 31.1
16. 1984, 1994: 31.0
17. 2018: 30.6
18. 1879: 30.5
19. 1998: 30.3
20. 1971: 30.0
Top 10 Warmest Daily December Lows
1. 12/6/1998: 62
2. 12/3/1982: 61
3. 12/8/1966, 12/4/1982: 59
4. 12/24/1964, 12/21/2013: 57
5. 12/13/1929, 12/12/2015: 56
6. 12/25/1889, 12/30/1936, 12/25/1982, 12/3/2012, 12/13/2015: 55
7. 12/4/1916, 12/13/1927, 12/7/1951, 12/7/1966, 12/5/2001, 12/30/2022: 54
8. 12/15/1891, 12/1/1914, 12/21/1923, 12/2/1982, 12/28/1984: 53
9. 12/20/1895, 12/25/1895, 12/26/1940, 12/27/1940, 12/6/1956, 12/31/1965, 12/4/1973, 12/7/1980, 12/1/1982, 12/8/1991, 12/4/1998, 12/5/1998, 12/2/2012: 52
10. 12/10/1897, 12/2/1914, 12/13/1920, 12/24/1932, 12/23/1941, 12/9/1952, 12/19/1957, 12/5/1994, 12/5/1999, 12/17/2006, 12/23/2015, 12/26/2023: 51
Top 20 Decembers with the Warmest Mean
1. 2015: 44.7
2. 1889: 44.6
3. 1923: 42.0
4. 2021, 2023: 41.8
5. 1931: 41.1
6. 1956: 40.8
7. 1881: 40.6
8. 1918, 1982: 40.4
9. 2006: 40.1
10. 1891: 40.0
11. 1984: 39.5
12. 2012: 39.4
13. 2011: 38.9
14. 1940: 38.8
15. 1994: 38.7
16. 1971, 2001: 38.4
17. 1941: 38.2
18. 1998: 38.1
19. 2019: 37.4
20. 1911, 2018: 37.3
Top 10 Warmest December Daily Means
1. 12/3/1982: 68.5
2. 12/6/1998: 67.5
3. 12/8/1966: 64.0
4. 12/4/1982: 63.5
5. 12/21/2013: 63.0
6. 12/2/1982: 62.5
7. 12/5/2001, 12/12/2015: 62.0
8. 12/6/1956, 12/24/1964: 61.0
9. 12/28/1984: 60.5
10. 12/10/1971: 60.0
Top 5 Decembers with the Most 60 or Above Highs
1. 1889: 11
2. 1982: 10
3. 2015: 7
4. 1998: 6
5. 1933, 1951, 1971, 1984, 1996, 2021: 5
Top 5 Decembers with the Most 50 or Above Lows
1. 1982: 6
2. 1998: 4
3. 1895, 1994, 2012, 2015: 3
4. 1889, 1914, 1918, 1936, 1940, 1956, 1966, 1984, 2001: 2
5. 1891, 1897, 1899, 1906, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1916, 1920, 1923, 1927, 1929, 1932, 1941, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1957, 1959, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1980, 1991, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2013, 2022, 2023: 1
Top 10 Great Temperature Ranges in Degrees (Warmest High to Coldest Low)
1. 1951: 82
2. 1901, 2022: 72
3. 1880, 1909, 1960: 71
4. 1958, 1962, 1966: 69
5. 1884, 1932, 1950, 1963, 1984, 2004: 68
6. 1924, 1989: 67
7. 1933: 66
8. 1925, 1961, 1982, 1983, 2008, 2016: 65
9. 1953: 64
10. 1914, 1916: 63
Precipitation Records
Top 20 Wettest Decembers
1. 1990: 6.98″
2. 1923: 6.12″
3. 2012: 5.70″
4. 2011: 5.44″
5. 1881: 5.28″
6. 1951: 5.07″
7. 1978: 5.01″
8. 2015: 4.88″
9. 2008: 4.84″
10. 1957: 4.68″
11. 1971: 4.61″
12. 1911: 4.53″
13. 2021: 4.51″
14. 2007: 4.34″
15. 2013: 4.30″
16. 1879: 4.29″
17. 1915: 4.15″
18. 1895: 4.14″
19. 1883: 4.12″
20. 1964: 4.09″
Top 20 Driest Decembers
1. 1955: 0.46″
2. 1958: 0.69″
3. 1925: 0.73″
4. 1930: 0.80″
5. 1963: 0.85″
6. 1943: 0.91″
7. 1900: 0.92″
8. 1976: 0.93″
9. 1938: 1.04″
10. 1898: 1.09″
11. 1888: 1.11″
12. 1913: 1.13″
13. 1939: 1.20″
14. 1965: 1.24″
15. 2010: 1.26″
16. 1934: 1.30″
17. 1917: 1.31″
18. 1992: 1.32″
19. 1947: 1.44″
20. 1896: 1.52″
Top 20 December Days with the Most Precipitation
1. 12/21/1998: 2.56″
2. 12/16/2000: 2.26″
3. 12/5/2011: 1.95″
4. 12/23/1921: 1.88″
5. 12/8/1978, 12/19/2008: 1.74″
6. 12/17/2011: 1.71″
7. 12/21/2013: 1.67″
8. 12/30/1990: 1.59″
9. 12/18/1990: 1.57″
10. 12/14/1901: 1.50″
11. 12/6/2021: 1.44″
12. 12/9/1901, 12/30/1932: 1.42″
13. 12/23/1883: 1.39″
14. 12/26/1895, 12/2/1991: 1.37″
15. 12/14/1881: 1.30″
16. 12/15/1982: 1.27″
17. 12/4/1880, 12/4/1916, 12/5/1923, 12/13/1927, 12/11/1964: 1.26″
18. 12/3/1990: 1.23″
19. 12/10/1966, 12/30/1971: 1.22″
20. 12/12/1911, 12/17/1937: 1.21″
Top 10 Decembers with the Most Precipitation Days
1. 2010: 28
2. 1902, 1935, 1974, 1983, 2005, 2008: 26
3. 1906, 1926, 1942, 1975, 1992, 2000: 25
4. 1915, 1952, 1964, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1981, 1989, 1993: 24
5. 1951, 1954, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1973, 1977, 1982, 1987, 2013, 2016: 23
6. 1907, 1910, 1911, 1914, 1921, 1930, 1934, 1940, 1957, 1968, 1969, 1991, 2009: 22
7. 1878, 1879, 1882, 1893, 1903, 1929, 1937, 1950, 1958, 1962, 1984, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2011: 21
8. 1880, 1892, 1898, 1905, 1916, 1918, 1923, 1924, 1939, 1944, 1945, 1961, 1962, 1978, 1985, 1990, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2022: 20
9. 1884, 1901, 1909, 1920, 1931, 1959, 1965, 1966, 1976, 2023: 19
10. 1886, 1887, 1899, 1900, 1904, 1919, 1932, 1933, 1941, 1949, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1976, 1988, 2015: 18
Top 5 Decembers with Most 0.25″+ Precipitation Days
1. 1957: 9
2. 1923, 1951, 2012: 8
3. 1883, 1902, 1911, 1964, 1975, 1983, 1990, 2011: 7
4. 1881, 1899, 1904, 1915, 1929, 1931, 1972, 1984, 2007, 2009, 2015, 2023: 6
5. 1878, 1879, 1886, 1890, 1891, 1895, 1906, 1909, 1916, 1918, 1921, 1927, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1966, 1968, 2002, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2021: 5
Top 5 Decembers with Most 0.50″+ Precipitation Days
1. 1923, 2012: 6
2. 1951, 1990, 2011: 5
3. 1957, 2009, 2015, 2021: 4
4. 1878, 1881, 1895, 1904, 1911, 1912, 1915, 1926, 1931, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1971, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1991, 1996, 2004, 2006, 2007: 3
5. 1880, 1884, 1886, 1892, 1894, 1901, 1910, 1914, 1916, 1918, 1922, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1937, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2014, 2020, 2023: 2
Top 5 Decembers with Most 1″+ Precipitation Days
1. 1990: 3
2. 1901, 1923, 1971, 1978, 2008: 2
3. 1880, 1881, 1883, 1895, 1903, 1904, 1911, 1915, 1916, 1921, 1927, 1929, 1932, 1933, 1937, 1950, 1964, 1966, 1982, 1991, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021: 1
4. All other years had 0.
Snow Records
Top 20 Decembers with the Most Snow
1. 1960: 17.3″
2. 1880: 17.2″
3. 2012: 14.9″
4. 1917: 14.5″
5. 1951: 13.7″
6. 1890, 1916: 13.5″
7. 2000: 13.4″
8. 2013: 12.7″
9. 1995: 11.8″
10. 1909: 11.0″
11. 1902, 1929: 10.7″
12. 1883: 10.6″
13. 1950: 10.5″
14. 1886: 9.9″
15. 1935, 1981: 9.8″
16. 1969: 9.7″
17. 2004: 9.6″
19. 1962: 9.5″
20. 1989: 9.4″
Top 20 Decembers with the Least Snow
1. 1889: 0.0″
2. 1884, 1891, 1928, 1931, 1941, 2014, 2015: Trace
3. 1940, 2006: 0.1″
4. 1908, 1979: 0.2″
5. 1923, 1938, 1943, 1994: 0.3″
6. 1986, 1996, 2018, 2023: 0.4″
7. 1900, 1913, 1927, 2011, 2021: 0.5″
8. 1971: 0.6″
9. 1949: 0.7″
10. 1918: 0.8″
11. 1888: 0.9″
12. 1896, 1905, 1965: 1.1″
13. 1879, 1925: 1.2″
14. 1881, 1912: 1.3″
15. 1970: 1.4″
16. 1954, 1982: 1.5″
17. 1991: 1.6″
18. 2001: 1.7″
19. 1978: 1.8″
20. 1937: 1.9″
Top 20 December Days with the Most Snowfall
1. 12/3/1957: 7.9″
2. 12/25/1890: 7.0″
3. 12/20/1960: 6.5″
4. 12/22/1916, 12/1/1952: 6.0″
5. 12/29/2012: 5.9″
6. 12/8/1917, 12/14/1951: 5.8″
7. 12/25/1909, 12/5/1984: 5.7″
8. 12/5/1902, 12/18/1951: 5.5″
9. 12/23/1947: 5.4″
10. 12/22/2004: 5.2″
11. 12/5/2013: 5.1″
12. 12/26/1933: 5.0″
13. 12/16/1883, 12/26/2012, 12/23/2022: 4.9″
14. 12/18/1968: 4.7″
15. 12/11/1960: 4.6″
16. 12/23/1929, 12/5/1958: 4.5″
17. 12/21/1981, 12/19/1995: 4.3″
18. 12/15/1989: 4.2″
19. 12/17/1981: 4.1″
20. 12/8/1977, 12/5/2007: 4.0″
Top 10 Decembers with the Most Snowfall Days
1. 2010: 25
2. 1963: 23
3. 1989, 2000: 21
4. 1962: 20
5. 1910, 1935, 1962: 19
6. 1903, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1969, 1983, 2008: 18
7. 1951, 1973, 1981, 1985, 1995, 2009: 17
8. 1902, 1915, 1960, 1975, 1976: 16
9. 1880, 1892, 1907, 1942, 1952, 1974, 1992, 1993, 2013, 2017: 15
10. 1898, 1909, 1914, 1916, 1919, 1930, 1939, 1944, 1970, 1977, 1987, 2003: 14
Top 5 Decembers with the Most 1″+ Snowfall Days
1. 1880: 7
2. 2000: 6
3. 1890, 1917, 1962, 1985, 1995: 5
4. 1916, 1950, 1960, 2012, 2013, 2017: 4
5. 1886, 1909, 1929, 1935, 1945, 1951, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1989, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009: 3
Top 5 Decembers with the Most 2.5″+ Snowfall Days
1. 1880, 1960: 3
2. 1890, 1902, 1904, 1916, 1917, 1929, 1932, 1933, 1942, 1950, 1951, 1958, 1981, 2012, 2013, 2020: 2
3. 1892, 1897, 1901, 1906, 1909, 1911, 1914, 1920, 1921, 1926, 1935, 1936, 1939, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2022: 1
4. All other years: 0
Top 5 Decembers with the Most 5″+ Daily Snowfall Days
1. 1951: 2
2. 1890, 1902, 1909, 1916, 1917, 1933, 1947, 1957, 1960, 1984, 2004, 2012, 2013: 1
3. All other years: 0
Top 5 Greatest December Snow Depths 1940-2023
1. 12/21/1960, 12/22/1960, 12/23/1960, 12/24/1960: 10.0″
2. 12/18/1951, 12/19/1951, 12/25/1960: 9.0″
3. 12/1/1950, 12/30/2012: 8.0″
4. 12/22/1981, 12/31/2012: 7.0″
5. 12/19/1945, 12/20/1945, 12/21/1945, 12/22/1945, 12/23/1945, 12/20/1951, 12/26/1960, 12/6/1984, 12/7/1984, 12/29/2012: 6.0″
Top 5 Decembers with the Greatest Average Snow Depth 1940-2023
1. 1960: 3.3″
2. 1951, 1989: 2.0″
3. 1945: 1.8″
4. 1950: 1.6″
5. 1958, 1962: 1.5″
Top 5 Decembers with the Most 1″+ Snow Depth Days
1. 1958: 22
2. 1960, 1958: 20
3. 1950: 19
4. 2010: 18
5. 1989: 17
Other Records
**Coming Soon**
Top 5 Decembers with the Most Cloudy Days Since 1930
Top 5 Decembers with the Most Clear Days Since 1930
Top 5 Decembers with the Highest Average Wind Speed in MPH Since 1940
Top 5 Decembers with the Highest Wind Gust in MPH Since 1940
The Winter Months includes links to weather history of other winter months, while the Winter Season Records page is for the entire winter season overall.
For current local weather information, visit the Wilmington National Weather Service
