West Columbia weather in December

In December, West Columbia sees average daytime highs of 58°F and overnight lows near 39°F, with 3.7 in of precipitation across 8.8 wet days and about 9.8 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 61°F in the first days to 56°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 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 West Columbia's 7th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see West Columbia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
58°
11th warmest
Overnight low
39°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
3.7 in
8.8 wet days
Daylight
9 h 42 min
7:28 AM – 5:13 PM
Cloud cover
55%
7th clearest
Wind
7 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.5
out of 10

West Columbia is city in Lexington County, South Carolina, United States of America.

Density
887/km²
people per km²

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 61°F in the first days to 56°F by the end.

A typical December day in West Columbia reaches about 58°F in the afternoon and slips back to 39°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 45°F and 71°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 7°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16142
26141
36141
46041
56041
66040
75940
85940
95940
105940
115840
125840
135840
145839
155839
165839
175739
185739
195739
205739
215739
225739
235739
245639
255638
265638
275638
285638
295638
305638
315638

How December really feels in West Columbia

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.

West Columbia 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
Jan56° / 37°3.59.10.6103.9
Feb59° / 40°3.48.30.410.74.7
Mar67° / 46°3.59.30.111.76.3
Apr75° / 54°3.38.1012.87.2
May82° / 62°3.09.4013.76.2
Jun88° / 70°4.313.5014.24.1
Jul90° / 73°4.415.30143.3
Aug89° / 72°4.213.4013.33.9
Sep84° / 66°3.78.8012.25.8
Oct75° / 55°3.37.1011.17.4
Nov65° / 45°2.87.2010.26.5
Dec58° / 39°3.78.80.19.84.5

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 (%)
15446
25446
35347
45248
55248
65149
75050
85050
95050
105050
114951
124951
134951
144951
154951
164951
174951
184852
194852
204852
214852
224852
234654
244654
254555
264654
274555
284555
294456
304555
314555

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

West Columbia gets around 3.7 in of rain and snow over 8.8 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 29% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
126
226
326
426
527
627
727
827
928
1028
1128
1228
1329
1429
1529
1629
1729
1830
1930
2030
2130
2230
2330
2431
2531
2631
2731
2831
2931
3031
3131

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 (%)
187841
288741
388741
488741
590730
690730
790730
891630
991630
1091630
1191630
1291630
1392620
1492620
1592620
1691621
1791621
1891621
1991621
2091621
2190622
2290622
2390622
2490622
2590622
2690622
2790622
2889722
2988732
3088732
3188732

Wind in December

Winds average 7 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
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 7:17 AM to 7:35 AM, and sunset from 5:11 PM to 5:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.97:175:11
29.97:185:11
39.97:195:11
49.97:205:11
59.87:205:11
69.87:215:11
79.87:225:11
89.87:235:11
99.87:235:11
109.87:245:11
119.87:255:12
129.87:255:12
139.87:265:12
149.87:275:12
159.87:275:13
169.77:285:13
179.77:295:13
189.77:295:14
199.77:305:14
209.77:305:14
219.77:315:15
229.77:315:15
239.77:325:16
249.77:325:16
259.77:335:17
269.77:335:17
279.77:335:18
289.77:345:18
299.87:345:19
309.87:345:20
319.87:355:20

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.39 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.39 kWh/m² to a high of 6.16 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.39 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.6Moderate
22.6Moderate
32.6Moderate
42.5Moderate
52.5Moderate
62.5Moderate
72.5Moderate
82.5Moderate
92.5Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.4Moderate
122.4Moderate
132.4Moderate
142.4Moderate
152.4Moderate
162.4Moderate
172.4Moderate
182.4Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.3Moderate
212.3Moderate
222.3Moderate
232.3Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit West Columbia?

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

4.5
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.2
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit West Columbia for sightseeing.

What to pack for West Columbia in December

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

In December, West Columbia sees daytime highs around 58°F and nights near 39°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in West Columbia 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 West Columbia peaks around June 23 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 23UV 9Dec 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in West Columbia 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 West Columbia is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodJul 1617 µg/m³Dec 218 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar15Moderate
Apr12Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is West Columbia?

West Columbia sits at 34.0°N, 81.1°W, 285 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Columbia, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around West Columbia

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around West Columbia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 315 ft around an average of 246 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 883 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,175 ft.

The land around West Columbia is covered by trees (51%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 2 miles, trees (66%) within 10 miles, and trees (78%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
315 ft
10 miles
883 ft
50 miles
1,175 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Columbia 2.5 mi · Saint Andrews 3.7 mi · Seven Oaks 5.6 mi · Lexington 9.3 mi · Sumter 42 mi · Aiken 48 mi · North Augusta 62 mi · Augusta 63 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 West Columbia (33.9935°, -81.074°, elevation 285 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).