Asheville weather in December
December in Asheville: cold, rainy, with clean air — a good time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#11 of 12 months in Asheville · #908 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 63/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 11°C
- Nights
- 1°C
- Wet days
- 8
- Sun
- 6.1 h
- Humidity
- 76%
- Daylight
- 10 h
Traveller notes on Asheville in December
Other months in Asheville
Forum posters describe March as one of the most variable months for Asheville weather - genuinely capable of snow, or a delightful sunny 68F day, or rain at 45F, sometimes within the same week. Posters cite historical averages in the 50s-60sF as a reasonable baseline, jacket weather rather than winter coat weather, with late March notably safer for avoiding snow than early March, though rain becomes somewhat more likely as the month wraps up. Posters are consistent that hiking remains viable nearly year-round in the surrounding mountains, though conditions vary sharply by elevation and location - sun, rain, wind or snow all realistic on a given day. Posters generally rate March as a genuinely mixed, transitional month for Asheville, spring ephemerals a likely reward for those visiting with flexible, layered plans.
September in Asheville is the quiet month before the rush — the forum describes it as usually very slow, right after school goes back and just before October's leaf season. Days reach about 25°C, warm enough for shorts, while early mornings and after dinner drop toward 15 and want a light jacket. Rain tends to arrive late afternoon or evening. The mountain caveat regulars stress is how local it all is: a thunderstorm on one side of town while the other stays bone dry, clear on one side of a ridge and wet on the other. On colour, September is too early — a trace at most. The change starts in early October and can run well into November.
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Asheville climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Asheville in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsChristmas at Biltmore, Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Asheville's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherAsheville's best weather comes in April, May and October — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Asheville in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Christmas at Biltmore
3 Nov – 10 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe house is decorated from early November and the candlelight evening tours sell out first; they are the ones worth having. It carries the town's winter trade, so hotel rates hold up right through a month that would otherwise be dead. Source ↗
- Closure
Blue Ridge Parkway winter gates
1 Dec – 31 Mar · usuallyThe Parkway has no winter maintenance above about 3,000 feet, so sections gate shut after every ice event and can stay shut for weeks. Check the real-time closure map the morning you drive, not the night before. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Asheville — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Asheville?
Asheville in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Asheville?
- December in Asheville: cold, rainy, with clean air — a good time to visit. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Asheville on SeasonMap's comfort score (63/100).
- What is the weather like in Asheville in December?
- In December, Asheville averages a daily high of 11.3°C and a low of 1.3°C, with about 85.1 mm of rain over roughly 7.8 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Asheville in December?
- Asheville has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 34 in December.
- Does it snow in Asheville in December?
- Asheville sees roughly 1.8 cm of snowfall in December.
Within 300 km: Charlotte's Speedway Christmas lights around 15 Nov – 5 Jan, and Atlanta's Garden Lights at the Botanical Garden around 14 Nov – 10 Jan.