December in Birmingham, AL: shoulder season for golf — playable with smart tee time selection. Best tee times: late morning to early afternoon after dew burns off.
| Average December Weather | |
|---|---|
| Avg daily high | 58°F |
| Avg daily low | 42°F |
| Rainy days | 13 / mo |
| Avg peak wind | 10.9 mph |
Most golfers expect December in Birmingham to be a near-washout — cold, soggy, and barely worth the bag fees. The reality is more playable than that. Afternoon highs average 58°F, which sits just below the ideal range but is comfortable enough for a brisk round with the right layers. Wind averages 10.9 mph, making it the 5th-windiest month of the year, so factor that into club selection on exposed holes.
The bigger surprise is that December ties January as one of the drier months, with 13 precipitation days — a figure that sounds high until you realize summer months run worse. Morning tee times are the main trap: the low of 42°F creates a 16-degree daily swing, so a 7 AM start feels very different from a 1 PM start. Plan accordingly, and golf in Birmingham in December can deliver solid rounds that most out-of-towners never expect.
Book afternoon slots — ideally after noon — to take advantage of the 16°F daily temperature swing and avoid the stiff 42°F mornings. December's shoulder-season status means conditions, not calendar, should drive your go/no-go decision, so keep a close eye on the daily forecast before committing to an early start. See how conditions rate hour by hour on our playability scale.
November is noticeably more comfortable, with a 7°F higher average high (65°F) and three fewer precipitation days, making it the easier choice if your schedule is flexible. December and January share the same 13 precipitation days, but December's 58°F average high is 5°F warmer than January's 53°F — that gap matters when you're already borderline on comfort. Wind barely changes across these three months, ranging just 0.7–0.9 mph between them, so wind is a constant rather than a month-specific variable.
Climate normals show the long-term picture, but day-to-day weather varies. Check today's live golf weather score for Birmingham, AL for the current playability rating, hourly wind, temperature, and the recommended tee time window.
← November in Birmingham, AL • January in Birmingham, AL →
Not for most players willing to dress for it. Average highs reach 58°F, which is below the ideal 60–80°F range but manageable in the afternoon hours. The low of 42°F is the real concern, so morning rounds require serious layering while post-noon rounds are far more comfortable.
December logs 13 precipitation days on average, tying it with January for the same total. That works out to about 4 in every 10 days having some measurable precipitation, so checking an hourly forecast before your tee time is the most reliable way to gauge actual playability. Building flexibility into your booking — or targeting mid-month windows after reviewing the extended outlook — reduces the odds of a wasted trip.