Nags Head, Outer Banks weather in December
Temperature, sea and sunshine in December: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in December
Poor
Best time to visit: June – September
What is the weather like in Nags Head, Outer Banks in December?
In December, Nags Head, Outer Banks is cool: daytime highs average 12 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 12.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 107 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 35 km/h. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Nags Head, Outer Banks.
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 21 | 18 | 17 |
| Day | 16° | 12° | 10° |
| Night | 11° | 7° | 5° |
| Sea | 16° | 12° | 9° |
| Sun | 5 h | 5 h | 5 h |
| Rain days | 9 | 10 | 10 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 9 h 44 min07:05 – 16:50
- UV index
- 2 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 35 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 58 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 0 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC−5America/New_York
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %28 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %60 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in December
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
- Windproof jacket
Nags Head, Outer Banks in December: quick answers
Is Nags Head, Outer Banks hot in December?
No. In December, Nags Head, Outer Banks is cool: daytime highs average 12 °C and nights drop to about 7 °C.
Can you swim in Nags Head, Outer Banks in December?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 12.1 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from June to October.
Does it rain much in Nags Head, Outer Banks in December?
Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 107 mm in total.
Nags Head, Outer Banks month by month
The whole year in Nags Head, Outer BanksAll destinations: USAWhere to go in DecemberSea temperature in December
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences