Laguna Beach weather in December
December in Laguna Beach: nice, a little rain — a great time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#11 of 12 months in Laguna Beach · #708 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 71/100 (tier B)
- Days
- 18°C
- Nights
- 11°C
- Wet days
- 4
- Sun
- 7.9 h
- Humidity
- 75%
- Daylight
- 10 h

Traveller notes on Laguna Beach in December
Laguna Beach-forum threads on December weather describe a genuine range: some visitors catch a beautiful early-month stretch good enough for the beach, while a winter storm rolling through can mean rain for the better part of a week instead. The standing daily rhythm regulars describe is morning and evening marine fog burning off into afternoon sun, a pattern that holds even on an otherwise middling day. Inland temperatures can run a good ten degrees warmer than right on the sand, worth knowing for anyone splitting time between the coast and Orange County further in. The advice across every thread is the same: layer up, since a warm, sunny afternoon can still turn into a genuinely cool evening requiring a proper jacket. Regulars call December a smart trade-off overall - thinner crowds than summer, in exchange for real weather variability. The record: 18C days feeling like 16C, 11C nights, 43mm across 4.1 days, a 16.3C sea, 75 percent humidity and 7.9 hours of sun.
Other months in Laguna Beach
Regulars are specific June Gloom, the marine layer of low cloud and fog, is a genuine daily feature here that typically clears by around noon into a sunny afternoon, though some years stay cloudy for much longer stretches than usual. Our row backs that mild, genuinely dry read, 20.6C over 16.5C nights, with rain essentially absent, 0.8mm across half a day, and humidity at 74 percent. Regulars are consistent the sand itself runs noticeably cooler than areas even half a mile inland thanks to the steady ocean breeze, May actually rated as having better beach weather than this month, with July and August the genuinely reliable warm stretch. The sea sits at a cool 17.8C. The record: 12.9 hours of sun, a 14 kph wind and AQI 46.
Laguna Beach-forum threads on October weather call it just about perfect: dry, fog-free, not really warm and not cold, sunny days in the 70s Fahrenheit dropping to the upper 50s at night. The standard advice is layering for the day-to-evening swing - shorts and a t-shirt through the afternoon, a light jacket or sweater once the sun goes down - with the end of the month running cooler, windier and drier still, enough that posters specifically recommend extra lotion for dry skin. Being coastal keeps Laguna a touch cooler than inland Orange County the whole month. The record: 23.5C days feeling like 26C, 19C nights, essentially none at all, a 21.1C sea, 74 percent humidity and 12.1 hours of sun - close to the mild, reliable month the forum describes.
July is where Laguna Beach comes out of the gloom. June Gloom is the local name for the marine layer that forms when warming inland air pulls cool ocean air against the hills, and it can hang over the coast into early July; regulars say the cloud thins out noticeably right around the Fourth, and that later July is reliably warm. When it does turn up it usually burns off around midday. The catchy phrase oversells it - not every May or June day is grey - but July and August are the months they name for weather. Our row's 22.4C reads as 26C with the sun out, over an 18.5C night. The record: 0.5 precipitation days, 13 hours of sun, humidity 73 percent and a 20.1C sea.
September, not August, is southern California's warmest month, and the first half of it is the warmest part - which is the single most useful thing this forum tells visitors, because the summer crowds have gone back to school by then and the beaches are quiet with it. The ocean follows the same curve: the warmer currents peak around 72F in early to mid September, about as warm as this coast ever gets, and our row puts the sea at 21C. The month is effectively rainless - 0.5 precipitation days carrying 3mm. The record: 23.7C days that feel like 26C, 18.4C nights, 11.1 hours of sun and a 15 kph breeze.
Add your own note from Laguna Beach's card on the map.
Laguna Beach climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Laguna Beach in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsSawdust Winter Fantasy, Christmas and New Year, Winter / Christmas break in United States(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Laguna Beach's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherLaguna Beach's weather peaks July–September, best around August.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Laguna Beach in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Sawdust Winter Fantasy
20 Nov – 21 Dec · usuallyArts festivalCrowdedThe Sawdust Art Festival's smaller winter edition turns its Laguna Canyon Road grounds into a holiday market of local art, ice skating and lights before Christmas. Source ↗
- Nature
Gray whale migration
15 Dec – 15 Apr · usuallyWhale seasonGrays pass close inshore heading for Baja from about Christmas and come back north with calves in March and April. The bluff-top path at Heisler Park works without a boat on a calm morning.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
24 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New YearClosuresCrowdedChristmas Day and New Year's Day are federal holidays: on 25 December most shops, museums and many restaurants close, and airports stay busy through the week between as families travel. New Year's Eve fills bars and restaurants, many at set-menu prices. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Laguna Beach — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Laguna Beach?
Laguna Beach in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Laguna Beach?
- December in Laguna Beach: nice, a little rain — a great time to visit. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Laguna Beach on SeasonMap's comfort score (71/100).
- What is the weather like in Laguna Beach in December?
- In December, Laguna Beach averages a daily high of 18°C and a low of 11°C, with about 43.4 mm of rain over roughly 4.1 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Laguna Beach in December?
- Laguna Beach has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 55 in December.
Within 300 km: Los Angeles' Gray whale migration around 15 Dec – 30 Apr, and San Diego's December Nights around 1–8 Dec.