These Are the 10 States That Get the Most Rain in December

10. Tennessee

Tennessee does not have a true rainy season, but there are a few months in the year that tend to be the wettest, including November and December. The amount of rain in Tennessee varies throughout the month and depends on which part of the state you are evaluating. In Nashville, only about 2.28 inches of precipitation is the norm in December. However, other parts of the state are distinctively rainier. In Nashville, you face a 31% chance of rain on an average day.

9. South Carolina

As the year comes to a close in South Carolina, the state enters one of its dryest times of the year. After experiencing tropical storms, hurricane season, and rainy summer weather, November is one of the dryest times of the year for this southeastern state. In December, the average rainfall is only 3.17 inches. On average, only 8 days of the month experience rain, making this one of the least-rainy states in the top 10 wettest Decembers list. In December 2018, a series of storms produced an unusual amount of rain in Charleston, South Carolina, making it one of the wettest Decembers on record. Rain at this time of year can lead to significant tidal flooding in coastal areas and flooded roads!

8. Washington

Washington State has a reputation for being cold and rainy, so it may surprise you that it is not in the #1 position for the rainiest state in the U.S. Its major city of Seattle, in particular, is known for its constant drizzle. However, stereotypes aside, this state is not even close to being the rainiest in the U.S. when looking at the average amount of precipitation – not even in December. However, during the winter, it is one of the states with the largest number of rainy days. Though its December precipitation is only about 3.38 inches on average, Washington is second only to one other state when it comes to its huge number of rainy days. Since each December in Washington sees about 17 rainy days on average, grab your raincoat and umbrella to ensure you are appropriately dressed when the drizzle does hit.

7. Louisiana

Each December, Louisiana’s temperatures start to drop slightly. While the state stays warmer than others on this list, you can expect it to get colder by at least a few degrees. Louisiana’s prime rainy seasons occur in the spring in the fall. Those are the times when polar fronts interact with moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. In the fall, the rainy season may also bring hurricanes and big tropical storms. However, Louisiana stays fairly wet even into December. There state sees an average of 9 rainy days each December with an average precipitation of about 3.6 inches.

6. Hawaii

If you choose to visit Hawaii in December, don’t be surprised if you encounter a few rainy days. With an average of 19 rainy days each December, Hawaii is off the charts when it comes to the rainiest states in the US. Even though Hawaii does not see the greatest amount of precipitation, it does take first place for having the most rainy days in a month. With 19 days of rain each December and an average precipitation of 3.86 inches of rain, plan for some tropical rainstorms and set your expectations for your winter vacation to Hawaii accordingly.

5. Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, being a coastal state with low-hanging clouds contributes to a significant amount of rain each December. In the state capital of Providence, the daily temperatures drop to a high of 39 degrees Fahrenheit on an average day. The month of December brings overcast, cloudy skies, and presents visitors and residents with a 35% chance of rain on a given day. With an average of 4.81 inches of precipitation during December, Rhode Island is within the top states for rain in December. However, being in New England, there is also a chance that the temperatures can drop to bring in colder weather and a chance of snow instead of rain! This is one state where having a white Christmas is a distinct possibility and much more likely compared to some of the southern states on this list!

4. Alabama

Though Alabama gets more rain than many other states in December, December is far from the wettest month of the year for this southern and coastal state. In fact, December is only the seventh-wettest month of the year for Alabama residents, with an average precipitation of about 4.9 inches each year. With an average of 11 rainy days each December, there is a good chance that about a third of your days in Alabama during December will include some rainfall. However, 4.9 inches will not feel like much compared to the Alabama record set in 1961 when the state received nearly 14 inches of precipitation that December!

3. Mississippi

With an average of 10 rainy days each December, Mississippi’s holiday season is fairly wet yet mild in temperature. The temperatures in this southern state usually range from as cold as 35 degrees Fahrenheit in the north to warmer mid-50s Fahrenheit in the southern regions. Visitors to Jackson, Mississippi should plan for approximately 5 inches of rainfall in December. However, it would be rare for the precipitation to exceed 8.3 inches or for there to be cold temperatures making the rain storms too miserable. One of the worst storms on Mississippi’s record occurred in December 1982, when Central and Southern Mississippi flooded dramatically. Before then, the December 1961 storms had been legendary, bringing heavy rainfall and as much as 11 inches of precipitation to Alabama and Mississippi on December 10 alone.

2. Arkansas

Tenth on our list of rainiest states in December is Arkansas. In fact, winter and spring are the rainiest months in this West South Central state just west of Tennessee and Mississippi, south of Missouri, and north of Louisiana. In December, Arkansas’ average minimum temperature is just over 34 degrees Fahrenheit and its average maximum temperature is 53.3 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average precipitation of 4.96 inches measured in the state capital of Little Rock. However, some Decembers see significantly more rainfall than that.

One of the worst floods on record in Arkansas occurred in December 2015. In fact, the US Geological Society (USGS) says that the December 2015 flooding of Arkansas rivers was the worst it had seen in 25 years, surpassing all records back to 1990! Some of Arkansas’ worst floods have come in December and January, including major floods back in December 1982 and January 1983, which produced significant flooding throughout Arkansas and the nearby states of Louisiana and Mississippi.

1. Georgia

Does it surprise you to learn that Georgia is the state that receives the greatest amount of precipitation in December? With an average precipitation at about 6 inches of rain in December, Georgia is one of the wettest states on this list. Since it receives rain on about 10 days out of each month, visitors to Georgia have a 1 in 3 chance of seeing rain on an average day. Big cities like Atlanta usually see a lot of that rainfall. Since this is the rainiest month of the year, it may be smart to bring an umbrella with you as you travel throughout the state or try to do some holiday shopping!