December is one of the cooler months of the year in Fayetteville, with average highs near 8.4°C and lows around -1.7°C (mean 3.4°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 79 mm of rainfall and 82% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Fayetteville. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Fayetteville was 2021 — when the month averaged 9.9°C — while the coldest was 1983 at -4.1°C. Typical December days reach 8.4°C with nights near -1.7°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.9°C per decade.
December is one of the drier months in Fayetteville, averaging 79 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2015 with 270 mm, while the driest was 2025 at 4 mm.
Relative humidity in Fayetteville during December averages 82%. The most humid December was 1984 at 90%, and the least humid was 1989 at 68%.
December receives about 2.1 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Fayetteville. The sunniest Decembers were 1989 and 2004 at 2.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2014 at 1.5.
Average wind speed in Fayetteville during December is 0.7 m/s. The windiest December was 2008 at 0.9 m/s, while the calmest was 1986 at 0.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 1.7°C | 3.4°C | 2.6°C | 4.1°C | 5.9°C | +4.2°C |
| Avg High | 6.7°C | 8.2°C | 7.7°C | 9.1°C | 11.2°C | +4.5°C |
| Avg Low | -3.2°C | -1.4°C | -2.6°C | -0.9°C | 0.5°C | +3.7°C |
| Avg Rain | 89 mm | 91 mm | 65 mm | 80 mm | 69 mm | -20 mm |
December temperatures in Fayetteville have risen by about 4.7°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -23.5°C (1989) to a record high of 24.8°C (2025).
Rainfall in December is one of the drier months, averaging 79 mm, with a wettest year of 270 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 1°C per decade while lows rose 0.7°C per decade, widening the gap between day and night.
A quieter season to visit Fayetteville
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of September and June tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Fayetteville. That said, December — with days averaging 8.4°C and nights around -1.7°C (mean 3.4°C) and moderate rainfall (79 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12.0°C | 6.0°C | 0.0°C | 24.8°C | -8.8°C | 4 mm | 77% | 0.7 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 11.1°C | 6.1°C | 1.1°C | 17.4°C | -5.4°C | 85 mm | 84% | 0.7 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2023 | 11.1°C | 6.0°C | 0.9°C | 18.0°C | -4.3°C | 57 mm | 79% | 0.7 m/s | 2 |
| 2022 | 8.4°C | 3.5°C | -1.4°C | 17.8°C | -18.9°C | 87 mm | 82% | 0.7 m/s | 2 |
| 2021 🔥 | 15.7°C | 9.9°C | 4.0°C | 22.2°C | -5.3°C | 96 mm | 79% | 0.8 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2020 | 9.1°C | 3.7°C | -1.7°C | 18.7°C | -8.4°C | 85 mm | 83% | 0.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2019 | 10.3°C | 5.3°C | 0.4°C | 17.8°C | -4.9°C | 37 mm | 84% | 0.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2018 | 9.1°C | 4.5°C | -0.1°C | 17.2°C | -5.8°C | 110 mm | 83% | 0.7 m/s | 2 |
| 2017 | 8.6°C | 3.5°C | -1.7°C | 21.1°C | -13.9°C | 54 mm | 73% | 0.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2016 | 9.5°C | 3.7°C | -2.2°C | 20.0°C | -11.8°C | 29 mm | 69% | 0.7 m/s | 2 |
| 2015 🌧️ | 12.0°C | 6.5°C | 0.9°C | 19.7°C | -8.3°C | 270 mm | 88% | 0.8 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2014 | 8.2°C | 4.3°C | 0.4°C | 15.7°C | -5.5°C | 65 mm | 87% | 0.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2013 | 5.2°C | 0.4°C | -4.4°C | 16.8°C | -15.9°C | 83 mm | 89% | 0.7 m/s | 2 |
| 2012 | 11.5°C | 6.2°C | 0.8°C | 23.4°C | -7.0°C | 47 mm | 73% | 0.8 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2011 | 9.4°C | 4.3°C | -0.7°C | 15.2°C | -6.7°C | 72 mm | 83% | 0.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2010 | 7.2°C | 2.2°C | -2.9°C | 16.9°C | -8.2°C | 30 mm | 74% | 0.8 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2009 | 4.5°C | 0.4°C | -3.7°C | 15.2°C | -10.4°C | 47 mm | 86% | 0.8 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2008 | 8.5°C | 2.3°C | -3.8°C | 19.4°C | -14.4°C | 58 mm | 75% | 0.9 m/s | 2 |
| 2007 | 9.4°C | 3.8°C | -1.9°C | 19.1°C | -6.9°C | 82 mm | 83% | 0.7 m/s | 1.8 |
| 2006 | 8.9°C | 4.0°C | -0.8°C | 19.5°C | -13.8°C | 91 mm | 88% | 0.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2005 | 9.0°C | 3.1°C | -2.9°C | 19.3°C | -11.0°C | 11 mm | 71% | 0.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2004 | 8.5°C | 3.5°C | -1.4°C | 19.2°C | -12.7°C | 35 mm | 84% | 0.8 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2003 | 8.9°C | 3.8°C | -1.4°C | 15.4°C | -6.5°C | 59 mm | 80% | 0.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2002 | 7.8°C | 2.9°C | -1.9°C | 18.0°C | -13.7°C | 109 mm | 87% | 0.7 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2001 | 9.4°C | 4.6°C | -0.3°C | 21.0°C | -10.8°C | 109 mm | 82% | 0.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2000 | 1.7°C | -2.9°C | -7.6°C | 10.7°C | -17.8°C | 52 mm | 86% | 0.8 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1999 | 10.2°C | 4.8°C | -0.7°C | 20.4°C | -6.0°C | 119 mm | 79% | 0.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1998 | 9.2°C | 4.1°C | -1.0°C | 21.9°C | -10.4°C | 59 mm | 82% | 0.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1997 | 5.6°C | 1.6°C | -2.4°C | 15.8°C | -6.9°C | 110 mm | 89% | 0.7 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1996 | 8.7°C | 3.8°C | -1.0°C | 18.1°C | -13.9°C | 19 mm | 87% | 0.8 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1995 | 7.5°C | 2.6°C | -2.4°C | 20.9°C | -13.4°C | 78 mm | 79% | 0.7 m/s | 2 |
| 1994 | 10.1°C | 5.1°C | 0.2°C | 18.8°C | -8.1°C | 61 mm | 87% | 0.6 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1993 | 8.0°C | 3.4°C | -1.2°C | 19.1°C | -6.5°C | 58 mm | 85% | 0.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1992 | 7.4°C | 2.9°C | -1.6°C | 18.8°C | -6.7°C | 155 mm | 89% | 0.7 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1991 | 8.6°C | 4.3°C | 0.0°C | 19.5°C | -9.1°C | 124 mm | 89% | 0.7 m/s | 2 |
| 1990 | 7.0°C | 1.8°C | -3.5°C | 18.1°C | -17.5°C | 134 mm | 84% | 0.8 m/s | 2 |
| 1989 | 4.4°C | -1.5°C | -7.3°C | 17.4°C | -23.5°C | 14 mm | 68% | 0.8 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1988 | 9.1°C | 3.5°C | -2.2°C | 16.3°C | -8.8°C | 70 mm | 81% | 0.7 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1987 | 7.2°C | 2.6°C | -2.0°C | 16.3°C | -11.0°C | 207 mm | 89% | 0.7 m/s | 1.9 |
| 1986 | 7.6°C | 3.2°C | -1.2°C | 10.6°C | -5.2°C | 28 mm | 85% | 0.5 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1985 | 3.6°C | -1.2°C | -6.0°C | 13.9°C | -15.7°C | 54 mm | 87% | 0.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1984 | 11.2°C | 6.3°C | 1.5°C | 18.8°C | -12.1°C | 216 mm | 90% | 0.7 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1983 ❄️ | 0.6°C | -4.1°C | -8.8°C | 12.2°C | -21.4°C | 38 mm | 83% | 0.8 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 9.3°C | 4.9°C | 0.5°C | 21.0°C | -7.7°C | 156 mm | 87% | 0.8 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 6.9°C | 1.9°C | -3.0°C | 17.7°C | -12.4°C | 15 mm | 80% | 0.7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 8.4°C with lows near -1.7°C (mean 3.4°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 79 mm of rainfall in Fayetteville, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 270 mm in 2015.
The hottest December reached 24.8°C in 2025. The coldest dipped to -23.5°C in 1989.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 4.7°C. Daytime highs moved from 6.3°C to 11.7°C and overnight lows from -3.2°C to 0.9°C over the same span.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Fayetteville and one of the drier months, so plan for around 8.4°C daytime highs and -1.7°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 2nd coolest month in Fayetteville, averaging 3.4°C.
For December in Fayetteville, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 8.4°C and lows of -1.7°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 82% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 0.7 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 0.9 m/s (2008).
The wettest December on record was 2015 with 270 mm. On average, December sees 79 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Fayetteville behaves each December, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for December specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
