Gastonia weather in December

In December, Gastonia sees average daytime highs of 53°F and overnight lows near 36°F, with 4.0 in of precipitation across 9.1 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 56°F in the first days to 51°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 48 min at the start of December to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Gastonia's 6th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gastonia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
53°
11th warmest
Overnight low
36°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
4.0 in
9.1 wet days
Daylight
9 h 36 min
7:32 AM – 5:10 PM
Cloud cover
55%
6th clearest
Wind
6 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.28 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.2
out of 10

Gastonia is city in North Carolina, United States.

Density
555/km²
people per km²
Founded
1877

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 56°F in the first days to 51°F by the end.

A typical December day in Gastonia reaches about 53°F in the afternoon and slips back to 36°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 41°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)
15638
25638
35638
45637
55537
65537
75537
85437
95436
105436
115336
125336
135336
145336
155335
165335
175235
185235
195235
205235
215235
225235
235235
245235
255235
265235
275135
285135
295135
305135
315135

How December really feels in Gastonia

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 25 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
25
wind chill below the day's low

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

Gastonia weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan51° / 33°3.99.71.29.92.6
Feb55° / 36°3.58.5110.73.5
Mar62° / 42°4.5100.411.75.5
Apr71° / 51°3.88.9012.96.8
May79° / 60°3.110.9013.86.5
Jun86° / 67°4.012.9014.34.7
Jul89° / 71°4.115.1014.13.8
Aug87° / 70°4.012.5013.34.6
Sep81° / 64°3.89.1012.26.4
Oct71° / 52°3.46.8011.17.3
Nov61° / 41°3.57.80.110.15.5
Dec53° / 36°4.09.10.69.73.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% 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 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25347
35347
45248
55248
65149
75149
85050
95050
105050
114951
124951
134951
144951
154951
164951
174951
184852
194852
204951
214951
224951
234951
244852
254753
264852
274852
284753
294852
304852
314951

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Gastonia gets around 4.0 in of rain and snow over 9.1 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 30% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1281
2281
3281
4281
5281
6282
7282
8282
9282
10292
11292
12292
13292
14302
15302
16312
17312
18312
19312
20312
21312
22312
23312
24312
25312
26312
27312
28312
29312
30312
31313

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
192620
292620
393520
493520
593520
694420
794420
894420
995410
1096310
1196310
1296310
1396310
1496310
1596310
1696310
1796310
1896310
1996310
2096310
2196310
2294321
2394321
2494321
2594321
2694321
2794321
2894321
2994321
3094321
3194321

Wind in December

Winds average 6 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 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
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 48 min at the start of December to 9 h 42 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 7:21 AM to 7:38 AM, and sunset from 5:08 PM to 5:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.87:215:08
29.87:215:08
39.87:225:08
49.77:235:08
59.77:245:08
69.77:255:08
79.77:265:08
89.77:265:08
99.77:275:08
109.77:285:09
119.77:295:09
129.77:295:09
139.77:305:09
149.67:315:09
159.67:315:10
169.67:325:10
179.67:325:10
189.67:335:11
199.67:345:11
209.67:345:11
219.67:355:12
229.67:355:12
239.67:365:13
249.67:365:13
259.67:365:14
269.67:375:14
279.67:375:15
289.67:375:16
299.67:385:16
309.67:385:17
319.77:385:17

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.28 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.28 kWh/m² to a high of 6.21 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.28 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.5Moderate
22.4Moderate
32.4Moderate
42.4Moderate
52.4Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.3Moderate
82.3Moderate
92.3Moderate
102.3Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.2Moderate
182.2Moderate
192.2Moderate
202.2Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.2Moderate
232.2Moderate
242.2Moderate
252.2Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.3Moderate
292.3Moderate
302.3Moderate
312.3Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Gastonia?

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

3.2
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 Gastonia.

What to pack for Gastonia in December

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

In December, Gastonia sees daytime highs around 53°F and nights near 36°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Gastonia in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Gastonia peaks around July 11 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 11UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Gastonia 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 Gastonia is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1718 µg/m³Dec 219 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr12Good
May14Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov9Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Gastonia?

Gastonia sits at 35.3°N, 81.2°W, 804 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Charlotte, 19 mi away.

Topography around Gastonia

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Gastonia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 220 ft around an average of 791 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,056 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,723 ft.

The land around Gastonia is covered by trees (63%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 2 miles, trees (74%) within 10 miles, and trees (75%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
220 ft
10 miles
1,056 ft
50 miles
2,723 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Charlotte 19 mi · Shelby 20 mi · Huntersville 22 mi · Cornelius 24 mi · Rock Hill 25 mi · Matthews 28 mi · Stallings 30 mi · Mooresville 31 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 Gastonia (35.2621°, -81.1873°, elevation 804 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. 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).