North Charleston weather in December

In December, North Charleston sees average daytime highs of 62°F and overnight lows near 46°F, with 3.4 in of rain across 7.7 wet days and about 9.9 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 64°F in the first days to 60°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 hours at the start of December to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is North Charleston's 6th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see North Charleston's year-round climate.

Daytime high
62°
11th warmest
Overnight low
46°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
3.4 in
7.7 wet days
Daylight
9 h 48 min
7:21 AM – 5:11 PM
Cloud cover
54%
6th clearest
Wind
9 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.62 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

North Charleston is city in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, South Carolina, United States.

Density
571/km²
people per km²
Founded
1972

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 64°F in the first days to 60°F by the end.

A typical December day in North Charleston reaches about 62°F in the afternoon and slips back to 46°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 49°F and 73°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°F cooler than November and about 3°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16448
26447
36447
46447
56347
66347
76347
86346
96246
106246
116246
126246
136246
146246
156146
166145
176145
186145
196145
206145
216145
226045
236045
246045
256044
266044
276044
286044
296044
306044
316044

How December really feels in North Charleston

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

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

North Charleston weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan59° / 43°3.28.410.14.8
Feb62° / 45°3.37.810.85.4
Mar67° / 51°3.28.211.86.6
Apr73° / 58°2.97.512.87.4
May80° / 66°2.7913.76.8
Jun85° / 73°5.116.314.14.5
Jul88° / 76°5.417.813.93.7
Aug87° / 75°6.318.913.23.9
Sep83° / 71°5.113.312.25.5
Oct76° / 61°4.07.811.27.4
Nov67° / 51°2.66.810.36.9
Dec62° / 46°3.47.79.95.5

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 48%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15842
25743
35743
45644
55545
65545
75545
85446
95347
105347
115347
125347
135347
145347
155347
165248
175248
185248
195248
205248
215149
225149
235149
244951
254951
264951
274753
284654
294654
304852
314852

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

North Charleston gets around 3.4 in of rain over 7.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 25% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
123
223
323
424
524
624
725
825
925
1026
1126
1226
1326
1426
1527
1627
1727
1827
1927
2026
2126
2226
2326
2425
2525
2625
2725
2825
2925
3025
3124

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 76% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
170151230
271151130
371151130
471151130
571151130
673151020
773151020
873151020
97415920
107415920
117415920
127415920
137614820
147614820
157713820
167713820
177713820
187812820
197912720
207912720
218011720
228011720
238011720
247911721
257911721
267811821
277811821
287811821
297811821
307811821
317811821

Wind in December

Winds average 9 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 hours at the start of December to 9 h 54 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 7:10 AM to 7:27 AM, and sunset from 5:09 PM to 5:19 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.07:105:09
210.07:115:09
310.07:125:09
49.97:125:09
59.97:135:09
69.97:145:09
79.97:155:09
89.97:155:10
99.97:165:10
109.97:175:10
119.97:175:10
129.97:185:10
139.97:195:11
149.97:195:11
159.97:205:11
169.87:215:11
179.87:215:12
189.87:225:12
199.87:225:13
209.87:235:13
219.87:235:13
229.87:245:14
239.87:245:14
249.87:255:15
259.87:255:15
269.87:265:16
279.87:265:16
289.87:265:17
299.97:275:18
309.97:275:18
319.97:275:19

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.62 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.62 kWh/m² to a high of 6.47 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 2.62 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.8Moderate
22.8Moderate
32.8Moderate
42.8Moderate
52.7Moderate
62.7Moderate
72.7Moderate
82.7Moderate
92.6Moderate
102.6Moderate
112.6Moderate
122.6Moderate
132.6Moderate
142.6Moderate
152.6Moderate
162.6Moderate
172.6Moderate
182.6Moderate
192.6Moderate
202.6Moderate
212.6Moderate
222.6Moderate
232.6Moderate
242.6Moderate
252.6Moderate
262.6Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for North Charleston

In seasonPeak

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

North Charleston 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 North Charleston?

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

5.5
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
1.0
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit North Charleston for sightseeing.

What to pack for North Charleston in December

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

In December, North Charleston sees daytime highs around 62°F and nights near 46°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layer

Sea temperature near North Charleston in December

The nearest coast averages about 64°F in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 17 mi away) is warmest in August at about 83°F and coldest in February near 60°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Apr 25 to Nov 19 — about 6.9 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan61Cool
Feb60Cool
Mar61Cool
Apr66Cool
May73Refreshing
Jun80Warm
Jul83Tropical
Aug83Tropical
Sep81Warm
Oct75Warm
Nov68Refreshing
Dec64Cool

UV index in North Charleston 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 North Charleston peaks around July 13 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 highHighModerateJul 13UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar7High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in North Charleston 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 North Charleston is worst in March — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMar 1819 µg/m³Dec 177 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb12Good
Mar20Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is North Charleston?

North Charleston sits at 32.9°N, 80.0°W, 20 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Hanahan, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around North Charleston

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around North Charleston has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 69 ft around an average of 16 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 161 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 230 ft.

The land around North Charleston is covered by trees (27%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 2 miles, trees (50%) within 10 miles, and trees (54%) and water (34%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
69 ft
10 miles
161 ft
50 miles
230 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Hanahan 5.0 mi · Charleston 6.2 mi · Mount Pleasant 7.5 mi · Goose Creek 9.3 mi · Summerville 16 mi · Hilton Head 63 mi · Hilton Head Island 64 mi · Bluffton 67 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 North Charleston (32.8546°, -79.9748°, elevation 20 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). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).