Los Angeles · United States
December
Warm Christmas under palm trees — festive events, occasional rain, and holiday crowds.
Strong option
#8 of 12 months
There are better months for Los Angeles — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
20.4°C
Low
8.9°C
Rain
52mm
Sun
7hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Los Angeles
Weather
Very good
Value
Good
Crowds
Above average
Events
Very good
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in December
- ↑Christmas in LA is a genuinely different experience. The temperature sits at 20°C, and the cognitive dissonance of seeing Christmas lights on palm trees and Santas on surfboards never gets old. The LA Zoo Lights (through December 31), Disneyland's holiday overlay, and Universal Studios Holiday events are all peak-quality productions.
- ↑New Year's Eve in Hollywood and on the Westside has a lower-key energy than New York or Las Vegas but significant atmosphere — rooftop bars citywide run ticketed events and the Hollywood Hills parties are legendary.
- ↑The Rose Bowl (January 1) and its associated events throughout December give Pasadena a festival atmosphere. The Rose Parade route setup in late December is a spectator event in itself.
What you sacrifice
- ↓The two weeks around Christmas and New Year drive significant price spikes. Family-friendly hotels near Disneyland and Universal reach peak rates; Westside properties run $300–$420/night. Book early or accept the holiday premium.
- ↓December rainfall concentrates in multi-day storm events separated by clear stretches. On average, expect 3–5 actual rain days in the month but each can bring significant rainfall that disrupts outdoor plans. The first heavy rains also trigger traffic chaos on a scale disproportionate to the actual precipitation.
How December compares to April (best month)
| Factor | December | April ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 7 | 9 |
| Value | 6 | 6 |
| Crowds | 5 | 6 |
December in other destinations
Lisbon (14.4°C)Barcelona (13.8°C)Tokyo (12°C)Bali (30.3°C)Santorini (14.5°C)Paris (6.9°C)New York (5.1°C)Marrakech (18.1°C)Amsterdam (6.4°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (11.7°C)Bangkok (30.4°C)Istanbul (9.4°C)Vienna (3°C)Seoul (3.7°C)Dubrovnik (11.6°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.5°C)Kyoto (11.3°C)Phuket (31.8°C)Cape Town (25.6°C)Prague (3°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (25°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (27.5°C)Miami (25.6°C)Florence (9.8°C)Queenstown (21°C)Madrid (9.5°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (5°C)Budapest (5°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (7°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (20°C)Osaka (11°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (14°C)Zanzibar (31°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (28°C)Havana (26°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (20°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (16°C)Ho Chi Minh City (31°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (17°C)Jordan (14°C)Azores (18°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Cairo (20.8°C)Kenya (26°C)Jaipur (22.8°C)Las Vegas (14.7°C)San Francisco (13.8°C)Madeira (20°C)Vancouver (7.1°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (24.2°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (19°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (6.8°C)Penang (30.9°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Cape Verde (26.8°C)Fez (15.2°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (19°C)Oslo (2°C)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Los Angeles, not across destinations. Methodology →