Season guide · Memphis · United States
Memphis in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Cool and damp with occasional ice, Elvis's birthday celebration, the International Blues Challenge and low prices. Expect highs up to 13°C (55°F) and lows around 0°C (32°F), with about 30 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 0°C (32°F) to 13°C (55°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 30
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10°C (50°F) | 0°C (32°F) | 10 | 10 h | 2/5 |
| February | 13°C (55°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 10 | 10.9 h | 1/5 |
| December | 11°C (52°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 10 | 9.8 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 11°C (52°F) against a yearly 23°C (73°F), and 30 of the year's roughly 109 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Elvis Presley birthday celebration at Graceland (around 8 January)
- January: International Blues Challenge on Beale Street (usually late January)
- December: St. Jude Memphis Marathon (usually early December)
- December: Christmas at Graceland (December)
Good choices for winter
Museum · South Memphis bluff
Metal Museum
Visit late in the afternoon for the river view, and check whether metalworking demonstrations are scheduled.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Views
- Off the beaten path
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Landmark · Pinch District
Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid
The 32-storey Memphis Pyramid, built as an arena in 1991, now houses a huge outdoor-gear store with an indoor cypress swamp, aquariums, a hotel and bowling.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Museum · Midtown
Children's Museum of Memphis
Ride the historic carousel and, in summer, bring swimwear for the splash park.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Museum · South Main Arts District
National Civil Rights Museum
Built around the Lorraine Motel, where Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · Union Avenue
Sun Studio
Stand on the marked spot where Elvis recorded and hold the microphone; the guides tell stories that bring the room to life.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Day trips in winter
- Shiloh National Military Park (About 2 hours) — The site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War in April 1862, with a visitor centre, a driving tour of the battlefield, the national cemetery and prehistoric Native American mounds above the Tennessee River.
- B.B. King Museum, Indianola (About 2 hours 15 minutes) — In the Delta town where B.B.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Memphis?
It is a trade-off: Cool and damp with occasional ice, Elvis's birthday celebration, the International Blues Challenge and low prices. The best months overall are April–May and October–November.
+What is the weather like in Memphis in winter?
Highs of up to 13°C (55°F) and lows around 0°C (32°F), with about 30 rainy days over the season.