Santa Rosa weather in December

In December, Santa Rosa sees average daytime highs of 56°F and overnight lows near 39°F, with 5.9 in of rain across 10.1 wet days and about 9.4 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 56°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 30 min at the start of December to 9 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Santa Rosa's 10th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Rosa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
56°
12th warmest
Overnight low
39°
1st coldest
Rainfall
5.9 in
10.1 wet days
Daylight
9 h 18 min
7:27 AM – 4:47 PM
Cloud cover
58%
10th clearest
Wind
4 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
2.08 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.9
out of 10

Santa Rosa is city in and county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States.

Density
1,657/km²
people per km²
Founded
1868

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 56°F through the month.

A typical December day in Santa Rosa reaches about 56°F in the afternoon and slips back to 39°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 50°F and 63°F. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 7°F cooler than November and on par with January.

20°30°40°50°60°70°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15941
25841
35841
45841
55841
65840
75740
85740
95740
105740
115740
125740
135640
145640
155639
165639
175639
185639
195639
205639
215639
225639
235638
245638
255638
265638
275638
285638
295638
305638
315639

Santa Rosa weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan57° / 40°5.710.39.64.0
Feb60° / 42°5.89.310.54.7
Mar63° / 44°4.49.511.75.7
Apr67° / 46°1.95.6137.0
May73° / 51°1.13.614.18.2
Jun80° / 55°0.31.214.68.5
Jul83° / 57°0.00.114.47.8
Aug83° / 57°0.00.213.57.8
Sep81° / 55°0.10.612.38.6
Oct74° / 50°1.43.2118.5
Nov63° / 44°3.06.29.96.2
Dec56° / 39°5.910.19.43.9

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15149
25050
34951
44951
54852
64654
74555
84555
94555
104555
114456
124555
134555
144555
154555
164555
174654
184753
194753
204753
214753
224753
234753
244753
254654
264654
274654
284555
294456
304456
314357

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Santa Rosa gets around 5.9 in of rain over 10.1 wet days in December, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 33% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
230
331
432
532
633
734
834
935
1035
1135
1235
1335
1435
1535
1634
1734
1833
1933
2032
2132
2232
2331
2431
2531
2631
2731
2831
2931
3031
3132

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 98% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1982
2982
3982
4982
5982
6982
7982
8982
9982
10982
11982
12982
13982
14982
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25982
26982
27982
28982
29982
30982
31991

Wind in December

Winds average 4 mph in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 4 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 30 min at the start of December to 9 h 24 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 7:15 AM to 7:33 AM, and sunset from 4:46 PM to 4:55 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.57:154:46
29.57:164:46
39.57:174:46
49.57:184:46
59.47:194:46
69.47:204:46
79.47:204:46
89.47:214:46
99.47:224:46
109.47:234:46
119.47:244:46
129.47:244:46
139.47:254:46
149.37:264:46
159.37:264:47
169.37:274:47
179.37:284:47
189.37:284:48
199.37:294:48
209.37:294:48
219.37:304:49
229.37:304:49
239.37:314:50
249.37:314:50
259.37:324:51
269.37:324:51
279.37:324:52
289.37:334:53
299.37:334:53
309.37:334:54
319.47:334:55

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.08 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.08 kWh/m² to a high of 8.01 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.08 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.2Moderate
22.2Moderate
32.2Moderate
42.1Moderate
52.1Moderate
62.1Moderate
72.1Moderate
82.1Moderate
92.0Moderate
102.0Moderate
112.0Moderate
122.0Moderate
132.0Moderate
142.0Moderate
152.0Moderate
162.0Moderate
172.0Moderate
182.0Moderate
192.0Moderate
202.0Moderate
212.0Moderate
222.0Moderate
232.1Moderate
242.1Moderate
252.1Moderate
262.1Moderate
272.1Moderate
282.1Moderate
292.1Moderate
302.1Moderate
312.1Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Santa Rosa

In seasonPeak

In December, Santa Rosa sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Santa Rosa's rainy season runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Santa Rosa?

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

3.9
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Santa Rosa.

What to pack for Santa Rosa in December

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

In December, Santa Rosa sees daytime highs around 56°F and nights near 39°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Santa Rosa in December

The nearest coast averages about 53°F in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 23 mi away) is warmest in September at about 55°F and coldest in May near 51°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

50°52°54°56°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan53Bracing
Feb53Bracing
Mar53Bracing
Apr51Bracing
May51Bracing
Jun51Bracing
Jul53Bracing
Aug54Bracing
Sep55Bracing
Oct55Bracing
Nov54Bracing
Dec53Bracing

UV index in Santa Rosa in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Santa Rosa peaks around June 23 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 10Dec 17UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May9Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep6High
Oct5High
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa is worst in September — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (June, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1623 µg/m³Jun 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar9Good
Apr7Good
May7Good
Jun6Good
Jul9Good
Aug17Moderate
Sep24Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Santa Rosa?

Santa Rosa sits at 38.4°N, 122.7°W, 164 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Rohnert Park, 6.8 mi away.

Topography around Santa Rosa

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Santa Rosa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 449 ft around an average of 184 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,687 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,895 ft.

The land around Santa Rosa is covered by artificial surfaces (65%) and trees (28%) within 2 miles, trees (44%) and grassland (34%) within 10 miles, and trees (38%), water (27%) and grassland (26%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
449 ft
10 miles
2,687 ft
50 miles
4,895 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
December weather nearby: Rohnert Park 6.8 mi · Windsor 9.3 mi · Agua Caliente 15 mi · Petaluma 15 mi · Novato 24 mi · Napa 25 mi · American Canyon 30 mi · San Rafael 34 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 Santa Rosa (38.4405°, -122.7144°, elevation 164 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).