Santa Monica weather in December: Santa Monica, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Santa Monica in December has a normal high of 66°F and a normal low of 48°F, a daily mean of 57°F, holding near 66°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal December, 2.34 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 19°C and low of 9°C, 59 mm of precipitation in December.
- NOAA stationSanta Monica Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00093197
- Location34.02°N 118.45°W
- Elevation174 ft (53 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population90,729
- Jan 66° 49°
- Feb 66° 49°
- Mar 66° 51°
- Apr 68° 53°
- May 69° 57°
- Jun 71° 60°
- Jul 75° 63°
- Aug 77° 63°
- Sep 76° 62°
- Oct 74° 58°
- Nov 70° 52°
- Dec 66° 48°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Santa Monica in December?
The normal high is 66°F and the normal low 48°F, for a daily mean of 57.0°F. December is 4.0°F cooler than November and 0.3°F cooler than January. December is the 12th warmest month of the year in Santa Monica and the 3rd wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 1°F, from 67°F on December 1 to 66°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 1.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 55°F and 59°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 21%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 67°F | 49°F | 18% | 9% |
| December 8 | 67°F | 48°F | 20% | 10% |
| December 15 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 11% |
| December 22 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 12% |
| December 31 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 13% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 15)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 67°F | 49°F | 18% | 9% | 10 h |
| December 2 | 67°F | 49°F | 18% | 9% | 10 h |
| December 3 | 67°F | 48°F | 18% | 9% | 10 h |
| December 4 | 67°F | 48°F | 19% | 9% | 10 h |
| December 5 | 67°F | 48°F | 19% | 9% | 10 h |
| December 6 | 67°F | 48°F | 19% | 9% | 10 h |
| December 7 | 67°F | 48°F | 19% | 10% | 10 h |
| December 8 | 67°F | 48°F | 20% | 10% | 10 h |
| December 9 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 10% | 10 h |
| December 10 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 10% | 10 h |
| December 11 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 10% | 10 h |
| December 12 | 66°F | 47°F | 20% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 13 | 66°F | 47°F | 20% | 11% | 10 h |
| December 14 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 11% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 15 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 11% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 16 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 17 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 18 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 19 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 20 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 21 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 22 | 66°F | 47°F | 21% | 12% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 23 | 66°F | 48°F | 21% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 24 | 66°F | 48°F | 21% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 25 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 26 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 27 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 28 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 29 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 30 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 13% | 9 h 50 min |
| December 31 | 66°F | 48°F | 20% | 13% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 66°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 48°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 2.34 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Daylight
- 10 h to 10 hDecember 1 to December 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 8
- Days at 80°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 83%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093197; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Santa Monica in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 20% on average, highest around December 16 (21%). In all, 2.34 in falls on 7 days of a normal December, 1 of them with an inch or more.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093197.
What are the records for December in Santa Monica?
The warmest December temperature on this station's record (since 1998) is 86°F, on December 12, 2010; the coldest is 37°F, on December 23, 2011. The wettest December brought 9.57 in (2010).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 57.0°F: 2021 53.7°F (−3.3), 2022 55.8°F (−1.2), 2023 59.9°F (+2.9), 2024 56.5°F (−0.5), 2025 60.0°F (+3.0). 2 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 53.7°F | −3.3°F | 7.05 in |
| 2022 | 55.8°F | −1.2°F | 2.50 in |
| 2023 | 59.9°F | +2.9°F | 3.55 in |
| 2024 | 56.5°F | −0.5°F | 0.01 in |
| 2025 | 60.0°F | +3.0°F | 3.59 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093197; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093197. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Santa Monica 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; Santa Monica's is 66°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Santa Monica in November70°F by day, 52°F at night
- Santa Monica in January66°F by day, 49°F at night
- Santa Monica 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