Bowling Green weather in December

In December, Bowling Green sees average daytime highs of 48°F and overnight lows near 33°F, with 4.6 in of precipitation across 10.7 wet days and about 9.5 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 51°F in the first days to 46°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 36 min at the start of December to 9 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Bowling Green's 11th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bowling Green's year-round climate.

Daytime high
48°
11th warmest
Overnight low
33°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
4.6 in
10.7 wet days
Daylight
9 h 30 min
6:58 AM – 4:26 PM
Cloud cover
66%
11th clearest
Wind
7 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
1.92 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.8
out of 10

Bowling Green is city and county seat of Warren, Kentucky, United States.

Density
645/km²
people per km²
Founded
1798

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 51°F in the first days to 46°F by the end.

A typical December day in Bowling Green reaches about 48°F in the afternoon and slips back to 33°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 34°F and 62°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 9°F cooler than November and about 3°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15236
25136
35135
45135
55035
65035
75035
84934
94934
104934
114934
124934
134833
144833
154833
164833
174833
184733
194733
204733
214732
224732
234732
244732
254732
264632
274632
284632
294632
304631
314631

How December really feels in Bowling Green

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 31 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
31
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Bowling Green weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan45° / 30°4.010.22.19.81.0
Feb49° / 33°4.29.91.910.62.0
Mar59° / 40°4.911.90.911.74.3
Apr69° / 49°5.111.60.112.96.1
May77° / 59°4.811.90146.4
Jun85° / 67°4.012.5014.54.9
Jul88° / 71°3.811.7014.34.2
Aug87° / 69°3.310.3013.44.6
Sep82° / 62°3.58.2012.36.5
Oct70° / 50°3.780.1117.0
Nov57° / 40°3.89.20.3104.3
Dec48° / 33°4.610.71.39.51.8

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 63%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14060
24060
33961
43862
53961
63862
73862
83763
93763
103664
113664
123565
133565
143466
153565
163565
173565
183565
193565
203565
213565
223664
233763
243664
253664
263763
273763
283763
293763
303763
313763

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Bowling Green gets around 4.6 in of rain and snow over 10.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 35% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1343
2353
3353
4353
5353
6353
7353
8353
9353
10353
11353
12363
13363
14363
15363
16364
17364
18364
19364
20364
21365
22355
23355
24355
25355
26345
27345
28346
29346
30346
31346

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 96% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19640
29640
39550
49550
59550
69550
79550
89640
99640
109640
119640
129640
139730
149730
159730
169730
179820
189820
199820
209721
219721
229721
239721
249721
259721
269721
279631
289631
299631
309631
319541

Wind in December

Winds average 7 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 36 min at the start of December to 9 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:46 AM to 7:04 AM, and sunset from 4:25 PM to 4:34 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.66:464:25
29.66:474:25
39.66:484:25
49.66:494:25
59.66:504:25
69.66:504:25
79.66:514:25
89.56:524:25
99.56:534:25
109.56:544:25
119.56:544:25
129.56:554:25
139.56:564:25
149.56:564:26
159.56:574:26
169.56:584:26
179.56:584:26
189.56:594:27
199.56:594:27
209.57:004:28
219.57:014:28
229.57:014:28
239.57:014:29
249.57:024:29
259.57:024:30
269.57:034:31
279.57:034:31
289.57:034:32
299.57:044:32
309.57:044:33
319.57:044:34

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.92 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.92 kWh/m² to a high of 6.25 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.92 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.1Moderate
22.0Moderate
32.0Moderate
42.0Moderate
52.0Dim
62.0Dim
71.9Dim
81.9Dim
91.9Dim
101.9Dim
111.9Dim
121.9Dim
131.9Dim
141.9Dim
151.9Dim
161.9Dim
171.9Dim
181.9Dim
191.9Dim
201.9Dim
211.9Dim
221.9Dim
231.9Dim
241.9Dim
251.9Dim
261.9Dim
271.9Dim
281.9Dim
291.9Dim
302.0Dim
312.0Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Bowling Green?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

1.8
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Bowling Green.

What to pack for Bowling Green in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Bowling Green sees daytime highs around 48°F and nights near 33°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Bowling Green in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bowling Green peaks around June 23 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct4Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Bowling Green in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Bowling Green is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.9× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1518 µg/m³Nov 216 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May14Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bowling Green?

Bowling Green sits at 37.0°N, 86.4°W, 528 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Springfield, 41 mi away.

Topography around Bowling Green

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Bowling Green.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bowling Green has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 253 ft around an average of 509 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 449 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 856 ft.

The land around Bowling Green is covered by trees (45%), artificial surfaces (29%) and grassland (22%) within 2 miles, trees (42%) and grassland (35%) within 10 miles, and trees (52%), grassland (27%) and cropland (20%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
253 ft
10 miles
449 ft
50 miles
856 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Springfield 41 mi · Gallatin 42 mi · Hendersonville 48 mi · Goodlettsville 48 mi · Lebanon 55 mi · Mount Juliet 55 mi · Hermitage 56 mi · Elizabethtown 58 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Bowling Green (36.9903°, -86.4436°, elevation 528 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).