Shelbyville weather in December

In December, Shelbyville sees average daytime highs of 45°F and overnight lows near 31°F, with 4.3 in of precipitation across 11 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 48°F in the first days to 43°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% 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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Shelbyville's 11th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shelbyville's year-round climate.

Daytime high
45°
11th warmest
Overnight low
31°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
4.3 in
11 wet days
Daylight
9 h 24 min
7:56 AM – 5:18 PM
Cloud cover
69%
11th clearest
Wind
7 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
1.78 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.0
out of 10

Shelbyville is city in Shelby County, Kentucky, United States.

Density
698/km²
people per km²
Founded
1792

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 48°F in the first days to 43°F by the end.

A typical December day in Shelbyville reaches about 45°F in the afternoon and slips back to 31°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 31°F and 59°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)
14935
24834
34834
44834
54733
64733
74733
84633
94632
104632
114632
124532
134532
144531
154531
164531
174431
184431
194431
204431
214430
224430
234430
244430
254330
264330
274330
284330
294330
304329
314329

How December really feels in Shelbyville

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.

Shelbyville 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
Jan41° / 27°3.710.43.39.60.1
Feb46° / 30°3.69.6310.51.1
Mar55° / 37°4.611.91.511.73.4
Apr66° / 47°5.112.50.3135.6
May75° / 57°5.113.70146.2
Jun83° / 66°4.212.6014.65.5
Jul86° / 69°4.112.1014.44.8
Aug85° / 67°3.010.1013.55.3
Sep79° / 60°3.28.2012.36.9
Oct67° / 48°3.48.20116.5
Nov55° / 38°3.69.10.69.93.5
Dec45° / 31°4.3112.49.41.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% 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 67%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13763
23664
33565
43466
53466
63367
73466
83367
93268
103367
113268
123268
133268
143169
153169
163169
173169
183268
193268
203268
213268
223367
233466
243466
253466
263565
273466
283466
293466
303466
313466

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Shelbyville gets around 4.3 in of rain and snow over 11 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 36% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days, and about 2 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1345
2345
3356
4356
5356
6356
7367
8367
9367
10367
11378
12378
13378
14378
15388
16388
17388
18388
19388
20378
21378
22368
23368
24368
25359
26359
27359
28359
29359
30359
31359

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 98% 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
7982
8982
9982
10982
11982
12982
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
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 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 24 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 7:45 AM to 8:03 AM, and sunset from 5:17 PM to 5:25 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.57:455:17
29.57:455:17
39.57:465:16
49.57:475:16
59.57:485:16
69.57:495:16
79.47:505:16
89.47:515:16
99.47:515:16
109.47:525:16
119.47:535:17
129.47:545:17
139.47:545:17
149.47:555:17
159.47:565:17
169.47:565:18
179.47:575:18
189.37:585:18
199.37:585:19
209.37:595:19
219.37:595:20
229.38:005:20
239.38:005:21
249.38:015:21
259.38:015:22
269.38:015:22
279.48:025:23
289.48:025:23
299.48:025:24
309.48:035:25
319.48:035:25

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.78 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.78 kWh/m² to a high of 6.19 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 1.78 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.9Dim
21.9Dim
31.9Dim
41.9Dim
51.8Dim
61.8Dim
71.8Dim
81.8Dim
91.8Dim
101.8Dim
111.8Dim
121.8Dim
131.8Dim
141.8Dim
151.7Dim
161.7Dim
171.8Dim
181.8Dim
191.8Dim
201.8Dim
211.8Dim
221.8Dim
231.8Dim
241.8Dim
251.8Dim
261.8Dim
271.8Dim
281.8Dim
291.8Dim
301.8Dim
311.8Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Shelbyville?

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

1.0
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 Shelbyville.

What to pack for Shelbyville in December

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

In December, Shelbyville sees daytime highs around 45°F and nights near 31°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 Shelbyville 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 Shelbyville 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 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5High
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Shelbyville 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 Shelbyville is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1418 µg/m³Dec 118 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May15Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Shelbyville?

Shelbyville sits at 38.2°N, 85.2°W, 761 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Jeffersontown, 19 mi away.

Topography around Shelbyville

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Shelbyville has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 148 ft around an average of 755 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 669 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,030 ft.

The land around Shelbyville is covered by grassland (34%) and trees (30%) within 2 miles, grassland (39%), trees (31%) and cropland (28%) within 10 miles, and trees (53%) and grassland (33%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
148 ft
10 miles
669 ft
50 miles
1,030 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Jeffersontown 19 mi · Frankfort 19 mi · Fern Creek 20 mi · Highview 22 mi · Saint Matthews 24 mi · Newburg 24 mi · Okolona 25 mi · Jeffersonville 28 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 Shelbyville (38.212°, -85.2236°, elevation 761 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).