As a resident of the Los Angeles region for 15 years, I wrote this guide for visitors looking for a credible source on what it’s like to visit LA in December.
This month is one of my favorites for visiting LA, when you can wear a t-shirt for an afternoon on a quiet beach surrounded by the city’s holiday lights.
LA is alive in the winter, and so long as you’ve worn clothing layers, the “California cold” will be pretty comfortable for most visitors.
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December in LA at a Glance
Short answer first. The details are further down.
- Weather: Average high of 68°F (20°C). Mornings and evenings drop to around 50°F (10°C). See how a typical day feels below.
- What to wear: Layers, plus a real jacket for after sunset. Full packing list further down.
- Beaches: The ocean is around 60°F (16°C). You can still surf, but you need a wetsuit.
- Rain: Some years under one inch, some years over three. When it rains, it usually rains for a day.
- Crowds: Quiet until December 15, packed after that. More on the best days to go below.
- Sunset: Just before 5:00 p.m. all month, so plan your outdoor time early.
- Don’t miss: The holiday light festivals and the boat parade in Newport Beach and ‘The Grove’ (outdoor shopping center around Xmas, highly recommended). Our favorites are below.
Best LA Travel Guides
Is December a Good Time to Visit Los Angeles?
December is an excellent time to visit LA as it’s cooler, comfortable weather. Pack warm layers for the morning and evening to enjoy a December visit. Airports, theme parks, and restaurants are jam-packed, so reserve popular sites. It’s best to visit before December 15, when holiday crowds begin.
Weather
December marks the beginning of winter in Los Angeles, though the days don’t get cold and wet until January and February. Additionally, the weather conditions are typically consistent throughout the month.
The weather in Los Angeles during December is cool to comfortable, with an average daily high temperature of 68°F (20°C), with mostly clear or sunny days and about ten daily hours of sunlight. The average rainfall is 2.1 inches, with the chance of rain increasing by the end of the month.
The average does not tell you much here. In half of all years, LA gets somewhere between 0.9 and 3.3 inches in December, so you can have a completely dry trip or a wet one.
Temperatures during the month:
- Early December 69°F (21°C)
- Mid-December: 68°F (20°C)
- Late December: 67°F (19°C)
On a typical day in December, the late evening and early morning temperatures will be in the lower 50°F degrees (around 10°C). However, by early afternoon (around 2:00 p.m.), temperatures will peak at around 70°F (21°C) degrees most days. Most afternoons between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. are comfortable, even on the lowest-temperature days.
Temperature progression on a typical day in December:
- Early (8 AM): 54°F
- Afternoon (2 PM): 68°F
- Evening (10 PM): 55°F
However, it is not easy to generalize Los Angeles weather in the winter. At midday the coast is only one or two degrees cooler than Downtown, but it feels colder because of the wind and the gray marine layer in the mornings (for more accurate weather forecasts of coastal LA, check out the forecast for Santa Monica on WeatherSpark). If you want a warmer December day in LA, it’s best to go east of Hollywood, into Pasadena or the valleys.
Water Temperature | Beaches | Swimming
The ocean temperature will be around 60°F (16°C). If you’re planning to swim or surf (waves are excellent) in LA during December, rent a wetsuit. For most visitors, this month is a perfect time for an active day on the beach, such as an oceanside bike ride or a game of beach volleyball.
Early December Weather
In most of LA during early December, the mornings are cold, at or below 50°F (10°C) degrees. By 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., temperatures typically increase to around 60°F (16°C) degrees, which is more comfortable.
By midday, temperatures will likely increase to approximately 70°F (21°C) degrees and stay warm until sunset, around 4:45 p.m. However, it won’t get cold until around 10:00 to 11:00 p.m. There is a less than 5% chance of a hot day (i.e., up to 80°F degrees).
Nearly half of all days in early December should be clear. There is a 13% chance of precipitation on any given day in early December.
On the coast, the afternoon high sits around 66°F (19°C) degrees, so you get fewer of those warm 70°F hours than inland. In coastal LA, December is also slightly windier, with more rainfall and up to 15% precipitation.
Mid-December Weather
By mid-December, mornings and late evenings in LA are cold, at or below 50°F (10°C) degrees: between 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. Between 10:00 a.m. and midday, temperatures begin to rise. From noon to 4:00 p.m. in LA (except coastal LA), temperatures may reach 70°F (21°C) degrees. Visitors to LA in mid-December likely won’t feel cold until around 10:00 p.m.
Around 45% of days are predicted to have clear skies in mid-December, with an increased chance (15%) of precipitation.
On the coast, the afternoon usually tops out around 66°F (19°C) degrees, with more chance of winds and rainfall. The mornings often start under a gray marine layer that takes a few hours to burn off.
Late December Weather
During late December, you’ll have only a couple of hours around 70°F (21°C) degrees. The stretch from about December 15 to December 23 is the coldest of the whole year in Los Angeles, and most of your day will be about 60°F (16°C) degrees.
Between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m., temperatures will drop to or below 50°F (10°C). In the morning, temperatures rise after 10:00 a.m. and fall again after sunset, before 5:00 p.m. You still have a slight chance of a warm day in the upper 70°F (upper 20°C) degrees, but this is less common in the late month.
Under half of the days are clear in late December, with a 17% chance of precipitation. This is the wettest part of the month.
Coastal highs in LA stay around 65°F (18°C) degrees, and the coast has more wind than the downtown in late December. It also cools down faster once the sun is gone.
What to Wear | Outfits
For a December visit to Los Angeles, you wear layers like pants, shirts, long-sleeved shirts, and a jacket. Coastal areas are the chilliest. Wear a warmer jacket in the cold mornings and evenings. Bring an umbrella and water-resistant shoes for a rare day of rain.
Don’t be surprised by an occasional hot day when you can walk around in a t-shirt in the afternoon.
Wearing layers is key during December in the LA region, especially when you start your explorations early and when you do something outside after sunset. Mornings and evenings are significantly colder, and a jacket is typically required.
Coast or inland? The thermometer barely changes. Santa Monica reaches about 66°F (19°C) in the afternoon, Downtown about 68°F (20°C). But the coast feels colder than that. There is more wind, the mornings often start gray under the marine layer, and it cools down fast once the sun is gone.
So take the extra layer with you if your day ends near the water. A t-shirt afternoon in Hollywood can turn into a cold evening on the beach in Venice. For real warmth, drive inland to Pasadena or the valleys, where the afternoons run a few degrees higher.
Does it rain? There may be some rain depending on the year. Check the weather forecast ahead of time, and if it seems like rain, bring rain gear. It doesn’t rain often in December, but when it does, it usually lasts a day or sometimes two.
Prepare for mornings and evenings: Once, we went to dinner and had to wait in front of a restaurant, which wasn’t that far from the coast, for about 20 minutes. I forgot to bring a jacket, and it was a big mistake which I regretted after only a few minutes. I was so cold that night!
For the holiday light events: Most of the events further down in this article are outdoors. You walk slowly or stand around for one to two hours after dark, and that feels much colder than a normal walk. Wear a warmer jacket than you think you need, closed shoes, and bring a hat. The gardens in La Cañada and Arcadia are also a few degrees colder than the city.
Jacket Recommendations
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Just last year, we went to a December birthday party on the beach in LA. It had been sunny t-shirt weather for days before, but that day it was cloudy and cold, so we all made a beach bonfire and cooked hot dogs over the flames. We had to wear our jackets, but we still enjoyed the party on the beach.
Don’t forget comfortable sneakers for a long day of sightseeing and other activities (check out our ‘things to do’ tips below)
Essential packing items:
- Jeans
- T-shirts
- Long-sleeve shirts
- Jacket
- Rainproof jacket
- Oversized sweater
- Sneakers
- Water-resistant boots
- Sunglasses
Crowds
December is the busiest winter month for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), with around five million visitors, so you’ll see more tourists, particularly after mid-December. For instance, Santa Monica, Universal Studios, and Disneyland see most of their visitors after December 15.
If you’re going to a popular spot, it’s best to go in early- to mid-December, ideally on a weekday. If you’re traveling to LA in late December, it’s doable, but please reserve event tickets at least a week in advance and arrive as early as possible – with snacks for the long lines.
Things to Do | Holiday Light Festivals | Xmas | Events
Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn (Riverside, near LA)
For more than 30 years, this holiday light festival has drawn upwards of half a million visitors annually. Millions of lights are draped over the mission, food vendors, trees and floral decor, and live musical performances.
Festival of Lights is free and runs from the weekend before Thanksgiving to the first week of January. It starts with a switch-on ceremony and a fireworks show from the hotel roof on that Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
This one is worth the one-hour drive from LA, not least because downtown Riverside is charming to walk through any time of the year. It runs nightly from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and is closed on Christmas Day.
Street parking and the surface lots are free after 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and free all day on weekends and holidays. The city garages charge a flat fee on the busy nights from Thursday to Sunday. Read more at MissionInn.com.
Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade (Newport Beach)
There are only a few places in the U.S. where you can sit on a boardwalk and watch a boat parade float by you. In Newport Beach, you can watch from the shore for free, or book a spot on one of the cruise boats and follow the 100-boat parade from the water.
The parade lasts five nights, from the third Wednesday in December through the following Sunday. The boats start moving around 6:30 p.m. every evening. The big fireworks show is on the opening night, off the Newport Pier at around 6:15 p.m., and in some years there is a second show on the final night.
The best place to go is Marina Park, though you will need to download an app to pay for parking (visit this website for free parking further away). This unique experience is worth the one-hour drive from Los Angeles. Don’t forget to visit little Balboa Island and try one of their famous frozen bananas or balboa bars – you can also watch the parade from here.
Enchant Christmas (Santa Anita Park, Arcadia)
For a few years the big light event in Arcadia was Lightscape at the LA County Arboretum. That one is gone. Enchant Christmas took its place and moved down the road to Santa Anita Park, the horse racing track.
Enchant covers more than ten acres and is built around what the organizers call the world’s largest Christmas light maze. There is also a real ice skating trail, an ice slide, a Christmas village with food and gift stalls, and Santa. It runs from late November until the end of December, with timed entry from the late afternoon.
Tickets start at around $25 per person and get more expensive on weekends and close to Christmas. Skating and parking cost extra, so book both online with your ticket. Santa Anita Park is a 30-minute drive from Downtown LA. Read more at EnchantChristmas.com.
Enchanted: Forest of Light (La Cañada)
The charming Descanso Gardens lies in the Los Angeles mountain foothills. Descanso hosts “Enchanted,” a classic LA holiday celebration of light, every winter from before Thanksgiving through after New Year’s Day.
The botanical garden displays illuminated tulip fields and lit-up oak groves. Tickets cost between $27 and $45 for adults depending on the date, and children under 2 are free. Descanso is a 20-minute drive from Los Angeles and has free parking. Enchanted runs through December, but it is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Read more at DescansoGardens.org.
LA Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow (Griffith Park, Los Angeles)
This urban zoo is one of the most family-friendly destinations in the city and joins in on holiday fun for its “Zoo Lights” event running for about eight weeks between mid-November and mid-January.
Zoo Lights is a unique event featuring lit-up lantern animals such as tigers, peacocks, zebras, elephants, and more. Tickets are entry-timed and start at $29 per adult and $19 per child aged 2 to 12. Children under 2 are free, and zoo members get $5 off.
Tip: Arrive earlier in the day and visit the nearby Griffith Observatory. The event is closed on most Mondays and Tuesdays, plus Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve. Free parking. Read more at LAZoo.org.
Christmas at The Grove (Fairfax District, Los Angeles)
The Grove is an outdoor shopping center, but in December it is also the easiest free Christmas stop in the city, and it sits right in the middle of LA. No long drive, no ticket.
Fake snow falls over the main lane twice every evening, usually around 6:00 p.m. and again at 8:00 p.m. The times change from year to year, so check them on the day. The Christmas tree in the middle is about 100 feet tall with roughly 10,000 ornaments, which makes it taller than the famous one at Rockefeller Center in New York.
The season starts with a tree lighting show in mid to late November, with live music, a drone show, and fireworks. That evening is free too, but it gets very crowded.
Santa’s Workshop is open from the tree lighting until December 24. Photos with Santa need a reservation, so book online before your trip. There are also a few pet nights in December where you can bring your dog.
Two tips from us: Parking is not free and the garage fills up fast in December, so come early in the evening or use a rideshare. And walk over to the Original Farmers Market right next door. It has been there since 1934, the food stalls are much better than the mall restaurants, and it is decorated for Christmas as well. Read more at TheGroveLA.com.
New Year’s Eve Glow Party (Marina Del Rey)
New Year’s Eve in LA is a more relaxed event, often marked by celebrating the “New York midnight” at 9:00 p.m. But for a unique and free Angeleno event, visit Marina Del Rey’s waterfront park for live music, and two countdowns and fireworks shows at midnight and 9:00 p.m.
Must-Visit Places in December
LA Beaches
When you land at LAX in December, you’ll probably want to go straight to your hotel and relax. The best place to get a hotel is close to the airport in Venice Beach or Santa Monica.
These are both walkable and bikeable cities, so rent some wheels (bikes, skateboards, and rollerskates are all popular) and explore the waterfront.
Venice Beach is quirky and artsy, an excellent location for young couples and solo travelers. At the same time, Santa Monica is more expensive and family-friendly, with an amusement park on the pier and street performances on Third Street Promenade.
Both cities are delightful, particularly in the winter when the sun is warm on a December afternoon, and the skies are clear. You can see them both in one day, even if you arrive in the afternoon. And don’t miss the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Even in December, you can try surfing with one of the many surf schools.
You’ll find multiple restaurants, both casual and posh, to eat at in Santa Monica. However, we prefer the beachfront restaurants and cafes in Venice Beach.
Hollywood | Griffith Observatory | Universal Studios
Most visitors are eager to take a photo in front of the Hollywood sign, and there are few places where you can see the sign better than Griffith Observatory, which has the city’s best views. On a clear day in December, you can see across the ocean to the Channel Islands.
The observatory, which is free, is an architectural object of pride and provides opportunities for visitors to look through telescopes, learn about space, and take a photo with the Hollywood sign.
The observatory will take at least two hours. We recommend visiting downtown Hollywood, 15 minutes away, notably the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Chinese Theatre if you have more time.
Universal Studios are incredible. As if you are in a movie! Every ride is amazing. The best ones are: The Mummy, Jurassic Park, and Transformers. It is a really unique and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Tip: One day is enough but definitely choose the express ticket option. Otherwise, you have to wait in line for every ride and show.
Disneyland
It wouldn’t be a visit to Southern California in December if you didn’t see Disneyland, the “happiest place on earth.” So, get up very early to avoid morning traffic and make it to the amusement park gates by opening time (usually around 8:00 a.m.).
Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before opening time to avoid crowds. Bring good walking shoes because this will be one of the most enjoyable and tiring days of your visit.