Imperial Beach weather in December

In December, Imperial Beach sees average daytime highs of 61°F and overnight lows near 52°F, with 2.0 in of rain across 5.7 wet days and about 9.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 61°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 hours at the start of December to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Imperial Beach's 9th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Imperial Beach's year-round climate.

Daytime high
61°
9th warmest
Overnight low
52°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
2.0 in
5.7 wet days
Daylight
9 h 54 min
6:49 AM – 4:41 PM
Cloud cover
41%
9th clearest
Wind
6 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Imperial Beach is city in San Diego County, California, United States.

Density
2,360/km²
people per km²
Founded
1887

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 61°F through the month.

A typical December day in Imperial Beach reaches about 61°F in the afternoon and slips back to 52°F overnight — a 9°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 56°F and 67°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 4°F cooler than November and on par with January.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16354
26354
36354
46353
56253
66253
76253
86253
96253
106253
116253
126253
136152
146152
156152
166152
176152
186152
196152
206152
216151
226151
236151
246151
256151
266151
276151
286151
296151
306151
316151

Imperial Beach weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 9th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan61° / 52°2.56.110.15.8
Feb61° / 52°3.1710.85.4
Mar61° / 53°2.15.911.85.8
Apr63° / 55°1.04.212.86.7
May65° / 58°0.42.113.67.5
Jun68° / 60°0.10.414.18.3
Jul72° / 65°0.10.413.98.8
Aug74° / 66°0.00.313.29.2
Sep73° / 65°0.20.812.29.0
Oct70° / 62°0.62.411.28.3
Nov66° / 56°1.03.610.37.4
Dec61° / 52°2.05.79.96.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 34%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26733
36634
46634
56634
66535
76535
86535
96634
106634
116634
126634
136634
146634
156634
166634
176634
186634
196634
206634
216634
226634
236634
246535
256634
266634
276634
286535
296535
306634
316535

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Imperial Beach gets around 2.0 in of rain over 5.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 19% and peaks near 20% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
217
318
418
518
618
718
819
919
1019
1119
1220
1320
1420
1520
1620
1720
1820
1920
2019
2119
2219
2319
2419
2519
2619
2719
2819
2919
3019
3120

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 97% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1946
2946
3946
4946
5946
6946
7946
8946
9955
10955
11955
12964
13964
14973
15973
16982
17982
18982
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in December

Winds average 6 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 hours at the start of December to 9 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:38 AM to 6:55 AM, and sunset from 4:39 PM to 4:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.06:384:39
210.06:394:39
310.06:394:39
410.06:404:39
510.06:414:39
69.96:424:39
79.96:434:39
89.96:434:39
99.96:444:39
109.96:454:39
119.96:454:39
129.96:464:40
139.96:474:40
149.96:474:40
159.96:484:40
169.96:494:41
179.96:494:41
189.96:504:41
199.96:504:42
209.96:514:42
219.96:514:43
229.96:524:43
239.96:524:44
249.96:534:44
259.96:534:45
269.96:534:45
279.96:544:46
289.96:544:46
299.96:554:47
309.96:554:48
319.96:554:48

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.16 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.16 kWh/m² to a high of 7.97 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.16 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.3Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.2Moderate
43.2Moderate
53.2Moderate
63.2Moderate
73.1Moderate
83.1Moderate
93.1Moderate
103.1Moderate
113.1Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.1Moderate
143.1Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.1Moderate
213.1Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.1Moderate
253.1Moderate
263.2Moderate
273.2Moderate
283.2Moderate
293.2Moderate
303.2Moderate
313.2Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Imperial Beach?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.0
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
1.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Imperial Beach for sightseeing.

What to pack for Imperial Beach in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Imperial Beach sees daytime highs around 61°F and nights near 52°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layer

Sea temperature near Imperial Beach in December

The nearest coast averages about 61°F in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 70°F and coldest in February near 59°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 13 to Sep 28 — about 2.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°65°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan60Cool
Feb59Cool
Mar60Cool
Apr61Cool
May63Cool
Jun65Cool
Jul68Refreshing
Aug70Refreshing
Sep69Refreshing
Oct67Cool
Nov64Cool
Dec61Cool

UV index in Imperial Beach in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Imperial Beach peaks around June 23 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 11Dec 17UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar5High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Imperial Beach in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Imperial Beach is worst in October — around 33 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 5.4× the cleanest month (May, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateOct 1631 µg/m³May 176 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb11Good
Mar10Good
Apr9Good
May6Good
Jun9Good
Jul8Good
Aug9Good
Sep16Moderate
Oct33Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec17Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Imperial Beach?

Imperial Beach sits at 32.6°N, 117.1°W, 20 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Chula Vista, 4.3 mi away.

Topography around Imperial Beach

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Imperial Beach.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Imperial Beach has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 105 ft around an average of 16 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,152 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,450 ft.

The land around Imperial Beach is covered by artificial surfaces (36%) and water (35%) within 2 miles, water (43%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 10 miles, and water (35%) and shrubs (24%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
105 ft
10 miles
1,152 ft
50 miles
6,450 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Chula Vista 4.3 mi · National City 6.8 mi · Coronado 8.1 mi · Tijuana 8.7 mi · San Diego 9.3 mi · Pórticos de San Antonio 11 mi · La Presa 11 mi · La Joya 12 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Imperial Beach (32.5839°, -117.1131°, elevation 20 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).