Sun, sea & sand

San Diego weather in December

Temperature, sea and sunshine in December: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.

33

Holiday weather in December

Poor

Best time to visit: July – September

Air temperature17°CNight 9°
Sea temperature16.0°Ccold
Sunshine8hrs / dayof 10.0 h daylight
Rainy days6days / month54 mm

What is the weather like in San Diego in December?

In December, San Diego is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. The sea averages 16.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 54 mm. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in San Diego.

December compared

How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.

NovemberNovDecemberDecJanuaryJan
Score483334
Day20°17°17°
Night12°9°9°
Sea17°16°15°
Sun9 h8 h8 h
Rain days466

More details for December

Daylight
10 h 1 min06:43 – 16:44
UV index
3 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)
Muggy days
0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
Wind
14 km/haverage daily peak
Cloud cover
45 %on average
Hot days
0 days30 °C or more
Time zone
UTC−8America/Los_Angeles

How the score comes together

  • Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
  • Seaweight 25 %0 %
  • Sunshineweight 20 %75 %
  • Few rainy daysweight 20 %89 %

Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.

What to pack in December

  • A jumper for the evenings

San Diego in December: quick answers

Is San Diego hot in December?

No. In December, San Diego is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C and nights drop to about 9 °C.

Can you swim in San Diego in December?

Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 16.0 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from July to September.

Does it rain much in San Diego in December?

Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 54 mm.

San Diego month by month

Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)