Santa Barbara in December: weather, rain (19%) and should you go? [2026]

Month summary

Santa Barbara weather in December

✅ Good

🌡️ Temperature min / max

48°F – 66°F

🌧 Rainy days

19% of days

☀️ Sunshine

9.7h per day on average

🌊 🌊 Season

Winter

⭐ ⭐ Weather score

7.3/10

📅 📅 Best month

July (10.0/10)

Quick decision

Should you visit Santa Barbara in December?

✅ Good

✅ Yes if: you want to explore the city on foot without suffering from heat.

❌ No if: you're looking for a beach destination — water and air are still cool.

🌧 Rain : ██░░░░░░░░ 19%

🌡 Temperature : █████░░░░░ 66°F

☀️ Sunshine : ███████░░░ 9.7h/d

Our take: December in Santa Barbara strikes a nice balance for travelers who don't mind cooler days but want to avoid crowds. Expect mild temperatures around 9–19°C with plenty of sunshine (nearly 10 hours daily) and minimal rain, making it perfect for exploring wine country or the coast without summer heat. You'll love it here if you appreciate peaceful beaches and don't need scorching weather.

By trip type

Santa Barbara in December by trip type

🏙️ 🏙️ City break / culture : ✅ Good
🚶 🚶 Outdoor activities : ⚠️ Possible
🏖️ Beach / swimming : ❌ Not recommended
💰 💰 Budget : ✅ Low season

Local context

What to expect in December

In December, Santa Barbara sees 19°F during the day with 9.7h of sunshine per day. Rain risk remains low (19% of days), leaving good room for outdoor activities. Not the best window, but acceptable if dates are constrained. July (10.0/10) is significantly better if possible.

Browse by month

All months for Santa Barbara

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Annual table

Month-by-month comparison

Month	Min °F	Max °F	Rain %	Precip in	Sun h/d	Score
🌤️ January	46°F	64°F	21%	0.2in	9.8h	7.2/10
🌤️ February	46°F	64°F	20%	0.1in	10.3h	7.2/10
🌤️ March	48°F	66°F	28%	0.1in	11.5h	7.3/10
🌤️ April	52°F	72°F	10%	0.0in	12.1h	8.4/10
🌤️ May	55°F	72°F	8%	0.0in	13.7h	8.7/10
☀️ June	61°F	77°F	2%	0.0in	14.0h	9.5/10
☀️ July	64°F	82°F	0%	0.0in	13.9h	10.0/10
☀️ August	66°F	84°F	2%	0.0in	13.0h	9.4/10
☀️ September	63°F	82°F	6%	0.0in	11.9h	9.4/10
☀️ October	59°F	79°F	5%	0.0in	10.8h	8.9/10
🌤️ November	52°F	72°F	11%	0.1in	9.8h	8.0/10
🌤️ December	48°F	66°F	19%	0.1in	9.7h	7.3/10

Ideal Fair Challenging climate ◀ Current month · Source Open-Meteo · 10 years

📊 Data source Data based on 10 years of ERA5 records via Open-Meteo, with ECMWF seasonal adjustment. In December, Santa Barbara averages 66°F, 19% rainy days and 9.7h of sunshine per day. Overall weather score: 7.3/10. See methodology →

Comparison