Shelby weather in December

In December, Shelby sees average daytime highs of 53°F and overnight lows near 35°F, with 4.0 in of precipitation across 9 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 56°F in the first days to 51°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 48 min at the start of December to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Shelby's 6th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shelby's year-round climate.

Daytime high
53°
11th warmest
Overnight low
35°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
4.0 in
9 wet days
Daylight
9 h 36 min
7:33 AM – 5:11 PM
Cloud cover
55%
6th clearest
Wind
6 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.29 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.1
out of 10

Shelby is city in and the county seat of Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States.

Density
369/km²
people per km²

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 56°F in the first days to 51°F by the end.

A typical December day in Shelby reaches about 53°F in the afternoon and slips back to 35°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 40°F and 65°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°F cooler than November and about 2°F warmer than January.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15638
25637
35637
45537
55537
65537
75437
85436
95436
105336
115336
125336
135335
145335
155335
165235
175235
185235
195235
205235
215235
225235
235235
245135
255135
265135
275135
285135
295135
305135
315134

How December really feels in Shelby

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 25 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
25
wind chill below the day's low

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

Shelby weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan51° / 33°4.09.61.39.92.5
Feb55° / 36°3.58.91.110.73.4
Mar62° / 42°4.510.10.411.75.4
Apr71° / 51°3.89012.96.8
May78° / 59°3.010013.86.7
Jun85° / 67°3.713014.34.8
Jul89° / 71°3.814.4014.13.9
Aug86° / 69°3.812.7013.34.6
Sep81° / 63°3.69.2012.26.4
Oct71° / 51°3.36.9011.17.3
Nov61° / 41°3.67.7010.15.4
Dec53° / 35°4.090.69.73.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25545
35545
45446
55347
65347
75248
85149
95149
105050
115050
124951
134951
144852
154951
164951
174951
184951
194951
204951
214951
224951
234951
244951
254852
264951
274951
284852
294951
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Shelby gets around 4.0 in of rain and snow over 9 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 30% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1281
2281
3281
4281
5281
6282
7282
8282
9282
10282
11282
12292
13292
14292
15302
16302
17302
18312
19312
20312
21312
22312
23312
24312
25312
26312
27312
28312
29312
30312
31313

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19352
29352
39352
49352
59442
69442
79442
89442
99631
109631
119631
129631
139631
149631
159631
169631
179721
189721
199721
209721
219721
229721
239721
249631
259631
269532
279631
289631
299631
309631
319631

Wind in December

Winds average 6 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 48 min at the start of December to 9 h 42 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 7:22 AM to 7:40 AM, and sunset from 5:10 PM to 5:19 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.87:225:10
29.87:235:10
39.87:245:10
49.77:255:09
59.77:255:09
69.77:265:09
79.77:275:10
89.77:285:10
99.77:295:10
109.77:295:10
119.77:305:10
129.77:315:10
139.77:315:10
149.67:325:11
159.67:335:11
169.67:335:11
179.67:345:12
189.67:355:12
199.67:355:12
209.67:365:13
219.67:365:13
229.67:375:14
239.67:375:14
249.67:375:15
259.67:385:15
269.67:385:16
279.67:395:16
289.67:395:17
299.67:395:17
309.67:405:18
319.77:405:19

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.29 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.29 kWh/m² to a high of 6.21 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.29 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.5Moderate
22.4Moderate
32.4Moderate
42.4Moderate
52.4Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.3Moderate
82.3Moderate
92.3Moderate
102.3Moderate
112.3Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.2Moderate
192.2Moderate
202.2Moderate
212.2Moderate
222.2Moderate
232.2Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.3Moderate
292.3Moderate
302.3Moderate
312.3Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Shelby?

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

3.1
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Shelby.

What to pack for Shelby in December

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

In December, Shelby sees daytime highs around 53°F and nights near 35°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Shelby 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 Shelby peaks around July 12 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 highHighModerateJul 12UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Shelby 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 Shelby is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1719 µg/m³Dec 239 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr12Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Shelby?

Shelby sits at 35.3°N, 81.5°W, 860 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Gastonia, 20 mi away.

Topography around Shelby

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Shelby has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 282 ft around an average of 853 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 518 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,705 ft.

The land around Shelby is covered by trees (69%) within 2 miles, trees (60%) and grassland (30%) within 10 miles, and trees (80%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
282 ft
10 miles
518 ft
50 miles
4,705 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Gastonia 20 mi · Hickory 32 mi · Morganton 32 mi · Spartanburg 32 mi · Rock Hill 39 mi · Charlotte 39 mi · Huntersville 40 mi · Cornelius 40 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 Shelby (35.2923°, -81.5357°, elevation 860 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).