Burlington weather in December

In December, Burlington sees average daytime highs of 43°F and overnight lows near 30°F, with 3.7 in of precipitation across 10.1 wet days and about 9.3 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 46°F in the first days to 41°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 30 min at the start of December to 9 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Burlington's 12th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Burlington's year-round climate.

Daytime high
43°
10th warmest
Overnight low
30°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
3.7 in
10.1 wet days
Daylight
9 h 18 min
7:57 AM – 5:13 PM
Cloud cover
71%
12th clearest
Wind
7 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
1.71 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.5
out of 10

Burlington is census-designated place in Boone County, Kentucky, United States.

Density
696/km²
people per km²
Founded
1799

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 46°F in the first days to 41°F by the end.

A typical December day in Burlington reaches about 43°F in the afternoon and slips back to 30°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°F and 58°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 10°F cooler than November and about 4°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14733
24733
34633
44633
54632
64532
74532
84431
94431
104431
114431
124331
134330
144330
154330
164330
174229
184229
194229
204229
214229
224229
234229
244229
254228
264128
274128
284128
294128
304128
314128

How December really feels in Burlington

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.

Burlington weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan39° / 25°3.39.73.89.60.0
Feb43° / 28°3.08.93.510.50.6
Mar53° / 36°4.211.51.811.72.9
Apr65° / 46°4.812.70.5135.4
May74° / 56°4.812.9014.16.2
Jun82° / 65°4.212.6014.75.7
Jul85° / 68°3.911.6014.55.1
Aug84° / 67°3.09.8013.55.6
Sep78° / 59°2.77.7012.37.1
Oct66° / 47°3.18.40.1116.3
Nov53° / 37°3.38.90.89.93.1
Dec43° / 30°3.710.12.69.30.5

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 69%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13466
23367
33367
43268
53169
63169
73169
83070
93070
103070
113070
123070
133070
143070
153070
163070
173070
183070
193268
203268
213268
223268
233268
243268
253268
263268
273268
283367
293268
303268
313268

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Burlington gets around 3.7 in of rain and snow over 10.1 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 33% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1335
2335
3336
4336
5336
6337
7337
8337
9338
10338
11339
12339
13349
14349
15349
16349
17349
18349
19349
20349
21339
22339
23339
24329
25329
26329
273210
283210
293210
303210
313210

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1982
2982
3982
4982
5982
6982
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27982
28982
29982
30982
31982

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 30 min at the start of December to 9 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:45 AM to 8:03 AM, and sunset from 5:12 PM to 5:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.57:455:12
29.47:465:12
39.47:475:12
49.47:485:12
59.47:485:12
69.47:495:12
79.47:505:12
89.37:515:12
99.37:525:12
109.37:535:12
119.37:535:12
129.37:545:12
139.37:555:13
149.37:565:13
159.37:565:13
169.37:575:13
179.37:575:14
189.37:585:14
199.37:595:14
209.37:595:15
219.38:005:15
229.38:005:16
239.38:015:16
249.38:015:17
259.38:015:17
269.38:025:18
279.38:025:18
289.38:025:19
299.38:035:20
309.38:035:20
319.38:035:21

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.71 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.71 kWh/m² to a high of 6.17 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.71 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.9Dim
21.8Dim
31.8Dim
41.8Dim
51.8Dim
61.8Dim
71.7Dim
81.7Dim
91.7Dim
101.7Dim
111.7Dim
121.7Dim
131.7Dim
141.7Dim
151.7Dim
161.7Dim
171.7Dim
181.7Dim
191.7Dim
201.7Dim
211.7Dim
221.7Dim
231.7Dim
241.7Dim
251.7Dim
261.7Dim
271.7Dim
281.7Dim
291.7Dim
301.7Dim
311.7Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Burlington?

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

0.5
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 Burlington.

What to pack for Burlington in December

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

In December, Burlington sees daytime highs around 43°F and nights near 30°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Burlington 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 Burlington peaks around June 22 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Burlington 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 Burlington is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1418 µg/m³Oct 249 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb11Good
Mar11Good
Apr12Good
May15Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Burlington?

Burlington sits at 39.0°N, 84.7°W, 840 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Florence, 5.6 mi away.

Topography around Burlington

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Burlington has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 322 ft around an average of 840 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 541 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 843 ft.

The land around Burlington is covered by trees (47%) and grassland (38%) within 2 miles, trees (56%) and grassland (24%) within 10 miles, and trees (55%), cropland (22%) and grassland (20%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
322 ft
10 miles
541 ft
50 miles
843 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Florence 5.6 mi · Erlanger 6.8 mi · Independence 11 mi · Covington 12 mi · Newport 13 mi · Cincinnati 13 mi · White Oak 14 mi · Fort Thomas 15 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 Burlington (39.0276°, -84.7241°, elevation 840 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).