Louisville weather in December: Louisville, Kentucky: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Louisville in December has a normal high of 47°F and a normal low of 32°F, a daily mean of 40°F, falling from 51°F on the 1st to 44°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal December, 4.13 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 8°C and low of 0°C, 105 mm of precipitation and 6 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationLouisville International Airport
- Station IDUSW00093821
- Location38.18°N 85.74°W
- Elevation488 ft (149 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population640,796
- Jan 44° 28°
- Feb 48° 31°
- Mar 58° 39°
- Apr 70° 49°
- May 78° 59°
- Jun 86° 67°
- Jul 89° 71°
- Aug 88° 70°
- Sep 82° 62°
- Oct 71° 50°
- Nov 58° 39°
- Dec 47° 32°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Louisville in December?
The normal high is 47°F and the normal low 32°F, for a daily mean of 39.6°F. December is 8.9°F cooler than November and 3.9°F warmer than January. December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Louisville and the 5th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 7°F, from 51°F on December 1 to 44°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 4.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 35°F and 44°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 39%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 51°F | 35°F | 36% | 22% |
| December 8 | 49°F | 34°F | 37% | 23% |
| December 15 | 47°F | 32°F | 38% | 23% |
| December 22 | 46°F | 31°F | 39% | 23% |
| December 31 | 44°F | 29°F | 39% | 23% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 31)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 51°F | 35°F | 36% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 51°F | 35°F | 36% | 22% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 51°F | 35°F | 36% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 50°F | 34°F | 36% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 50°F | 34°F | 36% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 50°F | 34°F | 37% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 7 | 50°F | 34°F | 37% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 8 | 49°F | 34°F | 37% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 49°F | 33°F | 37% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 10 | 49°F | 33°F | 37% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 48°F | 33°F | 37% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 48°F | 33°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 48°F | 33°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 47°F | 32°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 47°F | 32°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 47°F | 32°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 47°F | 32°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 46°F | 32°F | 38% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 46°F | 32°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 46°F | 31°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 46°F | 31°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 46°F | 31°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 45°F | 31°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 45°F | 31°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 45°F | 30°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 45°F | 30°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 45°F | 30°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 44°F | 30°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 44°F | 30°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 44°F | 30°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 44°F | 29°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 47°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 32°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 4.13 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 2.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 17
- Daylight
- 9 h 40 min to 9 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 61%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093821; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Louisville in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 38% on average, highest around December 21 (39%). In all, 4.13 in falls on 12 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in Louisville, 17 nights fall to freezing, 3 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 2.2 inches.
Snow falls on 3 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 2 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093821.
How humid and windy is Louisville in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 42°F with 60% relative humidity and a dew point of 29°F; at 6 a.m. it is 33°F with 78% humidity. The wind averages 8.3 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 33°F | 27°F | 78% | 7.3 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 34°F | 27°F | 78% | 7.4 mph | 28% |
| noon | 39°F | 29°F | 67% | 9.3 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 42°F | 29°F | 60% | 10.0 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 39°F | 28°F | 64% | 8.7 mph | 23% |
| 9 p.m. | 37°F | 28°F | 70% | 8.0 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093821. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for December in Louisville?
The warmest December temperature on Louisville's official record (since 1872) is 76°F, on December 3, 1982; the coldest is −15°F, on December 22, 1989. The wettest December brought 8.86 in (1990); the snowiest, 24.6 inches (1917).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 39.6°F: 2021 49.9°F (+10.3), 2022 39.4°F (−0.2), 2023 45.1°F (+5.5), 2024 42.7°F (+3.1), 2025 39.0°F (−0.6). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 49.9°F | +10.3°F | 3.76 in |
| 2022 | 39.4°F | −0.2°F | 3.28 in |
| 2023 | 45.1°F | +5.5°F | 1.86 in |
| 2024 | 42.7°F | +3.1°F | 3.81 in |
| 2025 | 39.0°F | −0.6°F | 2.29 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record SDFthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093821. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Louisville compare across Kentucky?
Across the 68 places PlainClimate covers in Kentucky, December normal highs run from 44°F in Ashland to 51°F in Summer Shade; Louisville's is 47°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Louisville in November58°F by day, 39°F at night
- Louisville in January44°F by day, 28°F at night
- Louisville through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Kentucky in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Summer Shade: Kentucky's warmest Decembernormal high 51°F