San Rafael weather in December: San Rafael, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
San Rafael in December has a normal high of 57°F and a normal low of 42°F, a daily mean of 50°F, falling from 60°F on the 1st to 56°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal December, 7.81 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 14°C and low of 6°C, 198 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationSan Rafael Civic Center
- Station IDUSC00047880
- Location38.00°N 122.54°W
- Elevation120 ft (37 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population59,961
- Jan 57° 43°
- Feb 61° 44°
- Mar 65° 46°
- Apr 68° 48°
- May 72° 51°
- Jun 78° 54°
- Jul 81° 55°
- Aug 81° 56°
- Sep 81° 54°
- Oct 75° 51°
- Nov 65° 46°
- Dec 57° 42°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is San Rafael in December?
The normal high is 57°F and the normal low 42°F, for a daily mean of 49.6°F. December is 5.7°F cooler than November and 0.2°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in San Rafael and the wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 4°F, from 60°F on December 1 to 56°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 2.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 47°F and 52°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 38%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 60°F | 43°F | 34% | 23% |
| December 8 | 58°F | 42°F | 37% | 25% |
| December 15 | 57°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% |
| December 22 | 56°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% |
| December 31 | 56°F | 42°F | 38% | 27% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 20)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 60°F | 43°F | 34% | 23% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 2 | 59°F | 43°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 59°F | 43°F | 35% | 24% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 59°F | 43°F | 36% | 24% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 59°F | 43°F | 36% | 25% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 58°F | 43°F | 36% | 25% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 7 | 58°F | 43°F | 36% | 25% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 8 | 58°F | 42°F | 37% | 25% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 58°F | 42°F | 37% | 25% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 10 | 58°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 11 | 57°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 40 min |
| December 12 | 57°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 57°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 57°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 57°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 57°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 57°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 57°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 56°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 56°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 56°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 56°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 56°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 56°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 56°F | 42°F | 37% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 56°F | 42°F | 38% | 26% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 56°F | 42°F | 38% | 27% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 56°F | 42°F | 38% | 27% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 56°F | 42°F | 38% | 27% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 56°F | 42°F | 38% | 27% | 9 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 56°F | 42°F | 38% | 27% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 57°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 42°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 7.81 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 1
- Daylight
- 9 h 40 min to 9 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00047880; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in San Rafael in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 37% on average, highest around December 30 (38%). In all, 7.81 in falls on 12 days of a normal December, 3 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal December in San Rafael, 1 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00047880.
What are the records for December in San Rafael?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1894) is 79°F, on December 26, 1967; the coldest is 20°F, on December 22, 1990. The wettest December brought 22.65 in (1955).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 49.6°F: 2022 49.2°F (−0.4), 2023 53.7°F (+4.1), 2024 52.7°F (+3.1), 2025 49.5°F (−0.1). 2 of 4 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 49.2°F | −0.4°F | 10.93 in |
| 2023 | 53.7°F | +4.1°F | 7.15 in |
| 2024 | 52.7°F | +3.1°F | 8.47 in |
| 2025 | 49.5°F | −0.1°F | 5.99 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00047880; recent months: ACIS, station USC00047880. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in San Rafael compare across California?
Across the 219 places PlainClimate covers in California, December normal highs run from 38°F in Tahoma to 71°F in Anaheim; San Rafael's is 57°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- San Rafael in November65°F by day, 46°F at night
- San Rafael in January57°F by day, 43°F at night
- San Rafael through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- California in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Anaheim: California's warmest Decembernormal high 71°F