Kinston weather in December

In December, Kinston sees average daytime highs of 57°F and overnight lows near 38°F, with 3.6 in of precipitation across 9.1 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 59°F in the first days to 55°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 Kinston's 5th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kinston's year-round climate.

Daytime high
57°
10th warmest
Overnight low
38°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
3.6 in
9.1 wet days
Daylight
9 h 36 min
7:17 AM – 4:56 PM
Cloud cover
55%
5th clearest
Wind
7 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.32 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

Kinston is city in North Carolina, United States of America.

Density
444/km²
people per km²
Founded
1762

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 59°F in the first days to 55°F by the end.

A typical December day in Kinston reaches about 57°F in the afternoon and slips back to 38°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 43°F and 70°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 7°F cooler than November and about 3°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16040
26040
36040
45940
55940
65940
75839
85839
95839
105839
115739
125739
135739
145738
155738
165638
175638
185638
195638
205638
215638
225638
235637
245537
255537
265537
275537
285537
295537
305537
315537

How December really feels in Kinston

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 9 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
9
wind chill below the day's low

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

Kinston weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan54° / 35°3.69.219.93.4
Feb57° / 37°3.190.710.74.0
Mar64° / 43°3.6100.111.75.8
Apr72° / 52°3.28.7012.97.0
May79° / 60°3.810.5013.86.5
Jun85° / 68°4.713.8014.34.6
Jul88° / 72°5.517.3014.13.7
Aug87° / 71°5.714.8013.34.3
Sep82° / 65°5.611.6012.25.9
Oct73° / 54°3.77.7011.17.2
Nov64° / 44°3.47.9010.16.2
Dec57° / 38°3.69.10.29.74.2

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 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15545
25446
35446
45347
55149
65149
75050
85050
94951
104852
114852
124852
134951
144951
154852
164951
174852
184852
194753
204852
214852
224852
234852
244852
254852
264852
274753
284753
294753
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Kinston gets around 3.6 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 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1280
2280
3280
4280
5290
6290
7290
8290
9290
10290
11290
12300
13300
14300
15300
16311
17311
18311
19311
20311
21311
22301
23301
24301
25301
26301
27301
28292
29292
30292
31292

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 89% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
186752
286752
386752
488741
588741
688741
788741
889731
989731
1089731
1189731
1289731
1389731
1489731
1589731
1689731
1789731
1890631
1990631
2090631
2189632
2289632
2389632
2489632
2589632
2689632
2789632
2889632
2989632
3089641
3189641

Wind in December

Winds average 7 mph in December.

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

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
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 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 7:06 AM to 7:24 AM, and sunset from 4:54 PM to 5:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.87:064:54
29.87:074:54
39.87:084:54
49.77:094:54
59.77:104:54
69.77:104:54
79.77:114:54
89.77:124:54
99.77:134:54
109.77:134:54
119.77:144:54
129.77:154:54
139.77:164:55
149.67:164:55
159.67:174:55
169.67:174:56
179.67:184:56
189.67:194:56
199.67:194:57
209.67:204:57
219.67:204:57
229.67:214:58
239.67:214:58
249.67:224:59
259.67:224:59
269.67:225:00
279.67:235:01
289.67:235:01
299.67:235:02
309.67:245:02
319.77:245:03

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.32 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.32 kWh/m² to a high of 6.09 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.32 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.5Moderate
22.5Moderate
32.5Moderate
42.5Moderate
52.4Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.3Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.3Moderate
192.3Moderate
202.3Moderate
212.3Moderate
222.3Moderate
232.3Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.3Moderate
292.3Moderate
302.3Moderate
312.3Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Kinston?

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

4.2
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.1
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Kinston for sightseeing.

What to pack for Kinston in December

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

In December, Kinston sees daytime highs around 57°F and nights near 38°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Kinston 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 Kinston peaks around July 13 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 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 13UV 9Dec 18UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Kinston 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 Kinston is worst in June — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.7× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 2318 µg/m³Dec 127 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb12Good
Mar17Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct9Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kinston?

Kinston sits at 35.3°N, 77.6°W, 43 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Goldsboro, 25 mi away.

Topography around Kinston

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Kinston has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 128 ft around an average of 59 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 184 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 502 ft.

The land around Kinston is covered by trees (58%) within 2 miles, trees (55%) and cropland (31%) within 10 miles, and trees (65%) and cropland (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
128 ft
10 miles
184 ft
50 miles
502 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Goldsboro 25 mi · Greenville 27 mi · New Bern 32 mi · Jacksonville 36 mi · Wilson 37 mi · Havelock 47 mi · Rocky Mount 48 mi · Clayton 56 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 Kinston (35.2627°, -77.5816°, elevation 43 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).