Derby weather in December

In December, Derby sees average daytime highs of 46°F and overnight lows near 27°F, with 1.5 in of precipitation across 4.8 wet days and about 9.5 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 49°F in the first days to 43°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% 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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Derby's 8th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Derby's year-round climate.

Daytime high
46°
11th warmest
Overnight low
27°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
1.5 in
4.8 wet days
Daylight
9 h 24 min
7:43 AM – 5:08 PM
Cloud cover
49%
8th clearest
Wind
9 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
2.34 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.4
out of 10

Derby is city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States.

Density
888/km²
people per km²
Founded
1871

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 49°F in the first days to 43°F by the end.

A typical December day in Derby reaches about 46°F in the afternoon and slips back to 27°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 31°F and 60°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 11°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15031
25030
34930
44930
54929
64829
74829
84729
94728
104728
114728
124628
134628
144628
154627
164627
174527
184527
194527
204526
214426
224426
234426
244426
254426
264426
274426
284425
294425
304325
314325

How December really feels in Derby

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.

Derby weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan44° / 25°1.14.31.99.70.9
Feb49° / 28°1.45.31.710.62.2
Mar59° / 37°2.87.71.111.74.8
Apr68° / 46°3.89.60.212.96.4
May77° / 57°5.411.40146.6
Jun86° / 67°4.610.4014.55.0
Jul91° / 71°3.08.1014.34.0
Aug89° / 69°3.07.5013.44.5
Sep82° / 61°3.07012.36.7
Oct70° / 48°3.270.1117.3
Nov57° / 36°1.75.30.5104.6
Dec46° / 27°1.54.82.19.51.4

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16139
26139
36139
46040
56040
65941
75842
85842
95842
105842
115743
125743
135743
145644
155743
165743
175743
185743
195743
205743
215842
225842
235842
245842
255842
265842
275842
285842
295842
305842
315842

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Derby gets around 1.5 in of rain and snow over 4.8 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 16% and peaks near 17% on the wettest days, and about 2 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1174
2164
3164
4164
5165
6165
7165
8165
9166
10166
11166
12166
13166
14167
15167
16167
17167
18167
19167
20168
21158
22158
23158
24158
25158
26158
27157
28157
29157
30157
31147

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
5991
6991
7991
8991
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in December

Winds average 9 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 36 min at the start of December to 9 h 24 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 7:31 AM to 7:49 AM, and sunset from 5:07 PM to 5:15 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.67:315:07
29.67:325:07
39.67:335:06
49.57:345:06
59.57:345:06
69.57:355:06
79.57:365:06
89.57:375:06
99.57:385:06
109.57:385:07
119.57:395:07
129.47:405:07
139.47:415:07
149.47:415:07
159.47:425:08
169.47:435:08
179.47:435:08
189.47:445:09
199.47:445:09
209.47:455:09
219.47:455:10
229.47:465:10
239.47:465:11
249.47:475:11
259.47:475:12
269.47:485:12
279.47:485:13
289.47:485:13
299.47:495:14
309.47:495:15
319.47:495:15

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.34 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.34 kWh/m² to a high of 6.88 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 2.34 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.5Moderate
22.5Moderate
32.4Moderate
42.4Moderate
52.4Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.3Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.3Moderate
192.3Moderate
202.3Moderate
212.3Moderate
222.3Moderate
232.3Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Derby?

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

1.4
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 Derby.

What to pack for Derby in December

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

In December, Derby sees daytime highs around 46°F and nights near 27°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 5 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Derby 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 Derby peaks around June 22 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 2 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 10Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Derby?

Derby sits at 37.5°N, 97.3°W, 1,293 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Wichita, 11 mi away.

Topography around Derby

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Derby has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 138 ft around an average of 1,283 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 249 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 751 ft.

The land around Derby is covered by trees (39%) and grassland (24%) within 2 miles, cropland (37%), grassland (31%) and trees (20%) within 10 miles, and cropland (46%) and grassland (44%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
138 ft
10 miles
249 ft
50 miles
751 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Wichita 11 mi · Newton 35 mi · Hutchinson 51 mi · Ponca City 59 mi · Emporia 84 mi · Enid 86 mi · Bartlesville 90 mi · Salina 91 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 Derby (37.5456°, -97.2689°, elevation 1,293 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).