Oxford weather in December

In December, Oxford sees average daytime highs of 55°F and overnight lows near 38°F, with 4.6 in of precipitation across 10.3 wet days and about 9.8 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 58°F in the first days to 53°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% 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 Oxford's 9th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Oxford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
55°
11th warmest
Overnight low
38°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
4.6 in
10.3 wet days
Daylight
9 h 48 min
6:46 AM – 4:33 PM
Cloud cover
59%
9th clearest
Wind
7 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
2.33 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.6
out of 10

Oxford is city in Calhoun and Talladega counties, Alabama, USA.

Density
263/km²
people per km²
Founded
1850

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 58°F in the first days to 53°F by the end.

A typical December day in Oxford reaches about 55°F in the afternoon and slips back to 38°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 42°F and 67°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)
15939
25839
35839
45839
55739
65739
75738
85638
95638
105638
115638
125638
135538
145538
155538
165537
175537
185537
195537
205437
215437
225437
235437
245437
255437
265437
275437
285337
295337
305337
315337

How December really feels in Oxford

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 14 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
14
wind chill below the day's low

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

Oxford weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan53° / 35°4.610.50.7103.0
Feb57° / 38°4.710.60.510.84.0
Mar65° / 44°5.0110.211.75.8
Apr72° / 52°4.19.8012.86.8
May80° / 60°3.410.2013.76.6
Jun85° / 68°4.013.1014.24.7
Jul88° / 71°4.414.70144.0
Aug87° / 70°3.713.2013.24.3
Sep83° / 64°3.19012.26.1
Oct74° / 53°3.07011.27.4
Nov63° / 43°4.08.2010.35.9
Dec55° / 38°4.610.30.39.83.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24753
34654
44555
54555
64555
74555
84555
94456
104456
114456
124555
134555
144555
154654
164555
174555
184555
194456
204456
214456
224456
234456
244357
254159
264159
274159
284159
294159
304159
314258

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Oxford gets around 4.6 in of rain and snow over 10.3 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 34% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1310
2310
3311
4321
5321
6321
7321
8321
9331
10331
11331
12331
13341
14341
15341
16351
17351
18351
19351
20351
21351
22351
23351
24351
25351
26351
27341
28341
29341
30332
31332

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 90% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
188831
288831
389821
489821
589821
689821
789821
890820
990820
1090820
1190820
1290820
1390820
1490820
1591720
1691720
1791720
1891720
1991720
2090721
2191621
2291621
2391621
2491621
2590631
2689731
2789731
2889731
2990721
3090721
3190721

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 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 6:35 AM to 6:53 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)
19.96:354:31
29.96:364:31
39.96:374:31
49.96:384:31
59.96:384:31
69.96:394:31
79.96:404:31
89.86:414:31
99.86:414:31
109.86:424:31
119.86:434:32
129.86:444:32
139.86:444:32
149.86:454:32
159.86:454:33
169.86:464:33
179.86:474:33
189.86:474:34
199.86:484:34
209.86:484:34
219.86:494:35
229.86:494:35
239.86:504:36
249.86:504:36
259.86:514:37
269.86:514:37
279.86:514:38
289.86:524:39
299.86:524:39
309.86:524:40
319.86:534:40

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.33 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.33 kWh/m² to a high of 6.12 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 2.33 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.5Moderate
22.5Moderate
32.5Moderate
42.5Moderate
52.5Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.4Moderate
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 Oxford?

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

3.6
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 Oxford.

What to pack for Oxford in December

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

In December, Oxford sees daytime highs around 55°F and nights near 38°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Oxford 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 Oxford peaks around July 12 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 12UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Oxford 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 Oxford is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.0× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1820 µg/m³Jan 117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb12Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Oxford?

Oxford sits at 33.6°N, 85.8°W, 656 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Anniston, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Oxford

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Oxford has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,024 ft around an average of 768 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,886 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,133 ft.

The land around Oxford is covered by trees (58%) and grassland (25%) within 2 miles, trees (79%) within 10 miles, and trees (79%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
1,024 ft
10 miles
1,886 ft
50 miles
2,133 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Anniston 3.1 mi · Talladega 20 mi · Gadsden 29 mi · Carrollton 43 mi · Trussville 45 mi · Dixiana 48 mi · Center Point 49 mi · Albertville 50 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 Oxford (33.6143°, -85.835°, elevation 656 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).