Santa Maria, CA weather in December
Expect cool weather with some rain in Santa Maria in December, with highs near 64°F and lows near 40°F. Rain falls on about 7 days. Good for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 64°F
- Normal low
- 40°F
- Wet days
- 7
- 2.0 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 66°F | 64°F |
| Normal low | 41°F | 40°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 20% | 25% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:51 am / 4:50 pm | 7:09 am / 5:00 pm |
| Daylight | 10.0 h | 9.8 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 am43°Fdew point 38°F
- 9 am51°Fdew point 41°F
- Noon62°Fdew point 40°F
- 3 pm62°Fdew point 43°F
- 6 pm53°Fdew point 44°F
- 9 pm49°Fdew point 42°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Santa Maria Public Airport (4 mi away); average wind 6 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°F13 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 snow7 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in4 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below4 of 31
Average days per December, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in December
Normal precipitation is 2.0 in; a dry December brings about 1.0 in and a wet one about 2.7 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more. Snow is very rare.
How December varies from year to year
- Warmest December, 1991-20202017: average high 72°F
- Coolest December2001: average high 61°F
- Wettest December2010: 9.8 in
- Driest December2017: 0.03 in
- Highest reading84°F (December 7, 2017)
- Lowest reading21°F (December 24, 1998)
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 | 70°F | 64°F | 65°F |
| Normal low | 44°F | 40°F | 41°F |
| Wet days | 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 19 | 13 | 13 |
| Daylight | 10.3 h | 9.8 h | 10.1 h |
Highs change by -6°F from November and +1°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Drier: Palmdale, CA134 mi · high 58°F · 4 wet days
- Cooler: Bakersfield, CA85 mi · high 59°F · 6 wet days
How Santa Maria ranks in December
- Normal high83rd warmest of 378 cities; 28th of 60 in California
- Wet days122nd driest of 378
- Comfortable days44th most of 340
What to pack for Santa Maria in December
- A warm jacket – lows near 40°F, highs near 64°F
Frost in December
The first fall frost typically comes around Dec 13; in 1 year in 10 it comes before Nov 21. All frost dates for Santa Maria.
Heating and cooling
December has 397 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 15% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Santa Maria in December?
The normal high is 64°F and the normal low is 40°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest December reading was 21°F (most recently on December 24, 1998).
Does it rain a lot in Santa Maria in December?
About 7 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.1 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2010 (9.9 in); the driest was in 2017 (0.03 in).
Does it snow in Santa Maria in December?
Snow is very rare: the 1991-2020 normal for December rounds to 0.0 in.
Is December a good time to visit Santa Maria?
December ranks 10th of 12 months on our comfort score for Santa Maria (61 out of 100). It has about 13 comfortable days. The best months are June, July and August.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Santa Maria Public Airport (USW00023273), 3.8 mi S of the city center, 242 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Lompoc (USC00045064), 21 mi S of the city center, 75 ft (143 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Santa Barbara Muni Airport (USW00023190), 50 mi SE of the city center, 9 ft (209 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Santa Maria Pub/Capt G A Hancock Airport (723940-23273), 4.2 mi SSW of the city center, 243 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.