Santa Barbara, CA weather in December
December in Santa Barbara: mild and mostly dry. Highs 66°F, lows 46°F, about 6 wet days. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 66°F
- Normal low
- 46°F
- Wet days
- 6
- 3.1 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 68°F | 66°F |
| Normal low | 47°F | 46°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 16% | 21% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:47 am / 4:48 pm | 7:05 am / 4:58 pm |
| Daylight | 10.0 h | 9.9 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Pacific Time).
A typical December day
- 6 am44°Fdew point 38°F
- 9 am55°Fdew point 42°F
- Noon63°Fdew point 44°F
- 3 pm63°Fdew point 43°F
- 6 pm54°Fdew point 44°F
- 9 pm49°Fdew point 41°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Santa Barbara Muni Airport (8 mi away); average wind 4 mph; clear or few clouds in 61% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 28%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F15 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph0 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow6 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in4 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per December, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in December
Normal precipitation is 3.1 in; a dry December brings about 0.9 in and a wet one about 4.4 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 2 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more.
How December varies from year to year
- Warmest December, 1991-20201999: average high 70°F
- Coolest December2012: average high 61°F
- Wettest December2004: 7.5 in
- Driest December2017: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading81°F (December 8, 2020)
- Lowest reading30°F (December 23, 2006)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
December compared with November and January
| November | December | January | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 71°F | 66°F | 67°F |
| Normal low | 50°F | 46°F | 47°F |
| Wet days | 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Comfortable days | 21 | 15 | 14 |
| Daylight | 10.4 h | 9.9 h | 10.2 h |
Highs change by -5°F from November and +1°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Drier: Palm Springs, CA185 mi · high 69°F · 2 wet days
- Cooler: Bakersfield, CA76 mi · high 59°F · 6 wet days
How Santa Barbara ranks in December
- Normal high62nd warmest of 378 cities; 21st of 60 in California
- Wet days74th driest of 378
- Comfortable days34th most of 340
Heating and cooling
December has 275 heating degree days and 1 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 14% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Santa Barbara in December?
The normal high is 66°F and the normal low is 46°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest December reading was 30°F (December 23, 2006).
Does it rain a lot in Santa Barbara in December?
About 6 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.1 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2004 (7.5 in); the driest was in 2017, with no measurable precipitation.
Is December a good time to visit Santa Barbara?
December ranks 10th of 12 months on our comfort score for Santa Barbara (64 out of 100). It has about 15 comfortable days. The best month is June.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Santa Barbara (USC00047902), 0.8 mi ESE of the city center, 16 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Santa Barbara Muni Airport (USW00023190), 8.2 mi W of the city center, 9 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (723925-23190), 8.2 mi W of the city center, 8 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.