Oxford weather in December

In December, Oxford sees average daytime highs of 54°F and overnight lows near 38°F, with 5.2 in of precipitation across 10.1 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 57°F in the first days to 52°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% 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 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Oxford's 10th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Oxford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
54°
11th warmest
Overnight low
38°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
5.2 in
10.1 wet days
Daylight
9 h 42 min
7:03 AM – 4:46 PM
Cloud cover
59%
10th clearest
Wind
7 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.24 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.3
out of 10

Oxford is city and county seat of Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States.

Density
524/km²
people per km²
Founded
1837

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 52°F by the end.

A typical December day in Oxford reaches about 54°F in the afternoon and slips back to 38°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 41°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)
15840
25740
35740
45639
55639
65639
75639
85539
95538
105538
115538
125438
135438
145438
155438
165438
175437
185337
195337
205337
215337
225337
235337
245337
255337
265237
275237
285237
295236
305236
315236

How December really feels in Oxford

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 13 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
13
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 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan52° / 35°4.810.20.6102.8
Feb56° / 38°4.810.10.710.73.8
Mar65° / 45°5.111.30.211.75.7
Apr73° / 54°4.810012.86.8
May81° / 63°4.810.5013.86.3
Jun88° / 71°3.711.4014.34.4
Jul90° / 73°3.912014.13.7
Aug90° / 72°3.210.2013.34.0
Sep85° / 65°3.36.9012.25.8
Oct74° / 54°3.87.5011.17.4
Nov63° / 44°4.18.8010.25.7
Dec54° / 38°5.210.10.29.73.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24654
34654
44555
54555
64456
74456
84456
94357
104357
114357
124357
134357
144357
154357
164456
174456
184456
194456
204357
214357
224456
234456
244555
254456
264456
274456
284456
294456
304456
314456

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Oxford gets around 5.2 in of rain and snow over 10.1 wet days in December, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 33% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
331
431
531
631
731
831
932
1032
1132
1232
1333
1433
1534
1634
1734
1835
1935
2035
2135
2235
2335
2435
2535
2635
2735
2834
2934
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 (%)
189830
288840
388840
488840
589740
689740
789740
889740
990640
1090640
1190640
1290640
1391540
1491540
1592530
1692530
1792530
1892530
1993430
2093430
2192431
2292431
2392431
2492431
2591531
2691531
2791531
2891531
2990631
3090631
3190631

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 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:52 AM to 7:09 AM, and sunset from 4:44 PM to 4:53 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.96:524:44
29.96:534:44
39.86:534:44
49.86:544:44
59.86:554:44
69.86:564:44
79.86:574:44
89.86:574:44
99.86:584:44
109.86:594:44
119.77:004:44
129.77:004:45
139.77:014:45
149.77:024:45
159.77:024:45
169.77:034:46
179.77:034:46
189.77:044:46
199.77:054:47
209.77:054:47
219.77:064:48
229.77:064:48
239.77:064:49
249.77:074:49
259.77:074:50
269.77:084:50
279.77:084:51
289.77:084:51
299.77:094:52
309.77:094:53
319.77:094:53

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.24 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.24 kWh/m² to a high of 6.33 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.24 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.4Moderate
22.4Moderate
32.4Moderate
42.3Moderate
52.3Moderate
62.3Moderate
72.3Moderate
82.3Moderate
92.2Moderate
102.2Moderate
112.2Moderate
122.2Moderate
132.2Moderate
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
292.3Moderate
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).

3.3
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 54°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 June 21 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 21UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep7Very 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 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1519 µg/m³Dec 226 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar11Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Oxford?

Oxford sits at 34.4°N, 89.5°W, 505 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Hernando, 42 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 only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 249 ft around an average of 482 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 410 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 646 ft.

The land around Oxford is covered by trees (58%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 2 miles, trees (83%) within 10 miles, and trees (72%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
249 ft
10 miles
410 ft
50 miles
646 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Hernando 42 mi · Olive Branch 45 mi · Tupelo 47 mi · Collierville 47 mi · Horn Lake 50 mi · Southaven 52 mi · Germantown 52 mi · Cordova 57 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 (34.3665°, -89.5192°, elevation 505 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).