Gadsden weather in December

In December, Gadsden sees average daytime highs of 55°F and overnight lows near 37°F, with 5.2 in of precipitation across 10.7 wet days and about 9.8 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 57°F in the first days to 53°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 54 min at the start of December to 9 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Gadsden's 11th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gadsden's year-round climate.

Daytime high
55°
11th warmest
Overnight low
37°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
5.2 in
10.7 wet days
Daylight
9 h 42 min
6:48 AM – 4:33 PM
Cloud cover
60%
11th clearest
Wind
6 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.26 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Gadsden is city in and the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama.

Density
362/km²
people per km²
Founded
1867

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 57°F in the first days to 53°F by the end.

A typical December day in Gadsden reaches about 55°F in the afternoon and slips back to 37°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 42°F and 66°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15839
25839
35739
45739
55738
65638
75638
85638
95638
105538
115538
125538
135537
145537
155537
165437
175437
185437
195437
205437
215437
225337
235337
245337
255336
265336
275336
285336
295336
305336
315336

How December really feels in Gadsden

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 16 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
16
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Gadsden weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan52° / 35°5.0100.6102.9
Feb57° / 38°4.910.40.510.73.8
Mar64° / 44°5.411.10.111.75.7
Apr73° / 52°4.59.7012.86.8
May80° / 60°3.910.4013.76.5
Jun86° / 68°3.912.7014.24.6
Jul89° / 72°4.214.20143.9
Aug88° / 71°3.412.1013.34.2
Sep83° / 64°3.58.2012.26.0
Oct74° / 53°3.27.1011.17.4
Nov63° / 42°4.28.20.110.25.8
Dec55° / 37°5.210.70.29.83.4

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24753
34753
44654
54555
64555
74456
84456
94456
104456
114456
124456
134456
144456
154555
164555
174555
184555
194456
204456
214456
224555
234456
244456
254456
264357
274258
284258
294258
304258
314159

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Gadsden gets around 5.2 in of rain and snow over 10.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 35% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
232
332
433
533
633
734
834
934
1034
1135
1235
1335
1435
1536
1636
1736
1837
1937
2037
2137
2236
2336
2436
2536
2636
2735
2835
2935
3034
3134

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 91% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
189821
289821
389821
489821
589821
689821
789821
891810
991810
1091810
1191810
1291810
1392710
1492710
1592710
1693610
1793610
1893610
1994510
2092521
2192521
2293421
2393421
2493421
2593421
2692431
2791531
2891531
2991531
3091531
3192530

Wind in December

Winds average 6 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 54 min at the start of December to 9 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:37 AM to 6:54 AM, and sunset from 4:31 PM to 4:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.96:374:31
29.96:384:31
39.96:384:31
49.96:394:31
59.86:404:31
69.86:414:31
79.86:424:31
89.86:424:31
99.86:434:31
109.86:444:31
119.86:454:31
129.86:454:31
139.86:464:32
149.86:474:32
159.86:474:32
169.76:484:33
179.76:484:33
189.76:494:33
199.76:504:34
209.76:504:34
219.76:514:34
229.76:514:35
239.76:524:35
249.76:524:36
259.76:524:36
269.76:534:37
279.76:534:38
289.76:534:38
299.86:544:39
309.86:544:39
319.86:544:40

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.26 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.26 kWh/m² to a high of 6.05 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 2.26 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.5Moderate
22.5Moderate
32.4Moderate
42.4Moderate
52.4Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.3Moderate
82.3Moderate
92.3Moderate
102.3Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.2Moderate
152.2Moderate
162.2Moderate
172.2Moderate
182.2Moderate
192.2Moderate
202.2Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.2Moderate
232.2Moderate
242.2Moderate
252.2Moderate
262.2Moderate
272.2Moderate
282.2Moderate
292.2Moderate
302.2Moderate
312.2Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Gadsden

In seasonPeak

None of Gadsden's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Gadsden sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Gadsden?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.4
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Gadsden.

What to pack for Gadsden in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Gadsden sees daytime highs around 55°F and nights near 37°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Gadsden in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Gadsden peaks around June 22 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Gadsden in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Gadsden is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.3× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1720 µg/m³Jan 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Gadsden?

Gadsden sits at 34.0°N, 86.0°W, 548 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Albertville, 21 mi away.

Topography around Gadsden

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Gadsden.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Gadsden has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 604 ft around an average of 597 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,027 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,142 ft.

The land around Gadsden is covered by trees (47%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 2 miles, trees (69%) and grassland (22%) within 10 miles, and trees (73%) and grassland (20%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
604 ft
10 miles
1,027 ft
50 miles
2,142 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Albertville 21 mi · Anniston 27 mi · Oxford 29 mi · Talladega 40 mi · Dixiana 42 mi · Trussville 44 mi · Center Point 47 mi · Cullman 49 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Gadsden (34.0143°, -86.0064°, elevation 548 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).