Owensboro weather in December

In December, Owensboro sees average daytime highs of 46°F and overnight lows near 32°F, with 4.4 in of precipitation across 10.6 wet days and about 9.4 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 50°F in the first days to 44°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% 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 Owensboro's 11th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Owensboro's year-round climate.

Daytime high
46°
11th warmest
Overnight low
32°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
4.4 in
10.6 wet days
Daylight
9 h 24 min
7:03 AM – 4:27 PM
Cloud cover
67%
11th clearest
Wind
7 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
1.85 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.3
out of 10

Owensboro is county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States.

Density
1,052/km²
people per km²
Founded
1797

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 50°F in the first days to 44°F by the end.

A typical December day in Owensboro reaches about 46°F in the afternoon and slips back to 32°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 32°F and 61°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)
15035
25034
34934
44934
54933
64833
74833
84833
94733
104732
114732
124732
134632
144632
154631
164631
174631
184631
194631
204531
214531
224531
234530
244530
254530
264430
274430
284430
294430
304430
314429

How December really feels in Owensboro

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.

Owensboro 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
Jan43° / 28°3.89.82.39.70.5
Feb47° / 31°3.69.42.510.51.5
Mar57° / 39°4.711.6111.74.0
Apr68° / 49°5.111.6012.96.0
May77° / 59°4.712.30146.4
Jun84° / 68°3.811.1014.65.3
Jul87° / 71°3.510.3014.34.7
Aug86° / 69°3.08.1013.55.2
Sep80° / 61°3.57.9012.36.8
Oct69° / 49°3.78.10116.8
Nov56° / 39°3.890.6104.0
Dec46° / 32°4.410.61.99.41.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 65%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14060
23961
33862
43763
53763
63664
73664
83565
93565
103466
113466
123466
133367
143367
153466
163466
173466
183367
193367
203466
213466
223565
233466
243466
253466
263466
273565
283565
293664
303664
313664

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Owensboro gets around 4.4 in of rain and snow over 10.6 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 37% on the wettest days, and about 2 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1334
2334
3334
4334
5334
6335
7345
8345
9345
10346
11356
12356
13356
14356
15366
16367
17367
18377
19377
20367
21367
22367
23357
24357
25357
26347
27347
28347
29337
30337
31337

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 97% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1964
2964
3964
4964
5973
6973
7973
8973
9973
10973
11982
12982
13982
14982
15982
16982
17991
18991
19991
20991
21982
22982
23982
24982
25982
26982
27982
28973
29973
30973
31973

Wind in December

Winds average 7 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 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
267light breeze
277light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light 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 6:51 AM to 7:09 AM, and sunset from 4:26 PM to 4:34 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.66:514:26
29.66:524:25
39.56:534:25
49.56:544:25
59.56:544:25
69.56:554:25
79.56:564:25
89.56:574:25
99.56:584:25
109.46:584:25
119.46:594:25
129.47:004:26
139.47:014:26
149.47:014:26
159.47:024:26
169.47:034:27
179.47:034:27
189.47:044:27
199.47:044:28
209.47:054:28
219.47:054:28
229.47:064:29
239.47:064:29
249.47:074:30
259.47:074:30
269.47:084:31
279.47:084:32
289.47:084:32
299.47:094:33
309.47:094:33
319.47:094:34

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.85 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.85 kWh/m² to a high of 6.36 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.85 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.0Moderate
22.0Dim
32.0Dim
41.9Dim
51.9Dim
61.9Dim
71.9Dim
81.9Dim
91.9Dim
101.9Dim
111.9Dim
121.8Dim
131.8Dim
141.8Dim
151.8Dim
161.8Dim
171.8Dim
181.8Dim
191.8Dim
201.8Dim
211.8Dim
221.8Dim
231.8Dim
241.8Dim
251.8Dim
261.9Dim
271.9Dim
281.9Dim
291.9Dim
301.9Dim
311.9Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Owensboro

In seasonPeak

None of Owensboro's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Owensboro sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Owensboro?

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

1.3
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 Owensboro.

What to pack for Owensboro in December

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

In December, Owensboro sees daytime highs around 46°F and nights near 32°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Owensboro 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 Owensboro peaks around June 23 at about 9 (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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 9Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Owensboro 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 Owensboro is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1519 µg/m³Nov 168 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Good
Apr12Good
May15Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Owensboro?

Owensboro sits at 37.8°N, 87.1°W, 394 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Henderson, 26 mi away.

Topography around Owensboro

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Owensboro has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 157 ft around an average of 394 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 269 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 617 ft.

The land around Owensboro is covered by artificial surfaces (32%) and trees (24%) within 2 miles, cropland (57%) and trees (22%) within 10 miles, and trees (50%) and cropland (35%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
157 ft
10 miles
269 ft
50 miles
617 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Henderson 26 mi · Evansville 28 mi · Madisonville 37 mi · Jasper 43 mi · Radcliff 64 mi · Bowling Green 65 mi · Hopkinsville 66 mi · Vincennes 66 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 Owensboro (37.7742°, -87.1133°, elevation 394 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).