December is one of the cooler months of the year in Salinas, with average highs near 14.5°C and lows around 9.1°C (mean 11.8°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 92 mm of rainfall and 79% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Salinas. Across 45 years of records, the warmest Decembers in Salinas were 1989, 2014 and 2023 — when the month averaged 13.6°C — while the coldest was 1998 at 9.7°C. Typical December days reach 14.5°C with nights near 9.1°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
December is a relatively wet time of year in Salinas, averaging 92 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2014 with 239 mm, while the driest was 1989 at 3 mm.
Relative humidity in Salinas during December averages 79%. The most humid December was 2001 at 87%, and the least humid was 2017 at 64%.
December receives about 2.4 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Salinas. The sunniest Decembers were 1989, 1999 and 2013 at 2.9 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 2002, 2005 and 2010 at 2.
Average wind speed in Salinas during December is 2.6 m/s. The windiest December was 1987 at 3.7 m/s, while the calmest were 1989 and 2000 at 1.9 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.8°C | 11.5°C | 11.6°C | 12.1°C | 12.5°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg High | 14.5°C | 14.4°C | 14.1°C | 14.6°C | 15.2°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 9.0°C | 8.5°C | 9.1°C | 9.5°C | 9.9°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg Rain | 72 mm | 84 mm | 115 mm | 95 mm | 92 mm | +19 mm |
December temperatures in Salinas have risen by about 1.1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -0.2°C (1990) to a record high of 22.8°C (2017).
Rainfall in December is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 92 mm, with a wettest year of 239 mm.
A quieter season to visit Salinas
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of September and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Salinas. That said, December — with days averaging 14.5°C and nights around 9.1°C (mean 11.8°C) and higher rainfall (92 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16.2°C | 13.3°C | 10.4°C | 19.0°C | 7.3°C | 70 mm | 83% | 2.5 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 16.1°C | 13.3°C | 10.5°C | 19.0°C | 6.7°C | 54 mm | 82% | 2 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2023 | 16.2°C | 13.6°C | 11.0°C | 19.5°C | 8.2°C | 76 mm | 85% | 2.4 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2022 | 13.9°C | 11.5°C | 9.1°C | 18.8°C | 4.8°C | 173 mm | 85% | 2.3 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2021 | 13.6°C | 11.4°C | 9.2°C | 21.7°C | 5.8°C | 146 mm | 85% | 3 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2020 | 15.2°C | 12.0°C | 8.9°C | 22.8°C | 6.5°C | 32 mm | 80% | 2.2 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2019 | 14.4°C | 12.5°C | 10.6°C | 17.2°C | 8.1°C | 123 mm | 87% | 2.9 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2018 | 15.2°C | 12.7°C | 10.2°C | 17.9°C | 5.4°C | 45 mm | 81% | 2.7 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2017 | 16.7°C | 13.2°C | 9.6°C | 22.8°C | 5.8°C | 3 mm | 64% | 2.1 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2016 | 13.7°C | 11.1°C | 8.6°C | 17.8°C | 4.4°C | 85 mm | 78% | 2.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2015 | 13.9°C | 11.7°C | 9.5°C | 18.1°C | 5.4°C | 85 mm | 78% | 2.9 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2014 🌧️ | 15.5°C | 13.6°C | 11.7°C | 19.1°C | 5.0°C | 239 mm | 85% | 2.9 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2013 | 15.2°C | 11.8°C | 8.4°C | 22.0°C | 3.1°C | 12 mm | 66% | 2.1 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2012 | 13.3°C | 11.3°C | 9.4°C | 18.6°C | 5.9°C | 168 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2011 | 14.4°C | 11.1°C | 7.7°C | 17.6°C | 4.0°C | 5 mm | 73% | 2.1 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2010 | 13.7°C | 11.6°C | 9.5°C | 18.6°C | 6.1°C | 184 mm | 86% | 2.5 m/s | 2 |
| 2009 | 13.2°C | 10.8°C | 8.4°C | 18.3°C | 4.8°C | 78 mm | 81% | 2.4 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2008 | 13.6°C | 10.8°C | 7.9°C | 20.6°C | 4.8°C | 67 mm | 79% | 2.7 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2007 | 13.1°C | 10.2°C | 7.3°C | 17.2°C | 4.2°C | 47 mm | 79% | 2.9 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2006 | 14.8°C | 11.9°C | 9.1°C | 20.4°C | 4.9°C | 92 mm | 73% | 2.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2005 | 14.7°C | 12.5°C | 10.3°C | 20.1°C | 5.0°C | 159 mm | 82% | 2.4 m/s | 2 |
| 2004 | 14.7°C | 11.8°C | 8.9°C | 19.5°C | 6.0°C | 163 mm | 80% | 2.8 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2003 | 13.9°C | 11.9°C | 9.8°C | 16.7°C | 7.1°C | 171 mm | 83% | 2.8 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2002 | 14.2°C | 12.3°C | 10.4°C | 17.4°C | 5.5°C | 208 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | 2 |
| 2001 | 12.9°C | 11.1°C | 9.2°C | 16.2°C | 6.8°C | 153 mm | 87% | 3 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2000 | 15.6°C | 12.5°C | 9.5°C | 21.2°C | 6.4°C | 13 mm | 78% | 1.9 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1999 | 15.7°C | 11.9°C | 8.2°C | 21.2°C | 5.1°C | 5 mm | 74% | 2.4 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1998 ❄️ | 12.8°C | 9.7°C | 6.6°C | 21.8°C | 1.4°C | 26 mm | 77% | 2.8 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1997 | 14.6°C | 12.0°C | 9.3°C | 17.0°C | 3.3°C | 123 mm | 76% | 3.3 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1996 | 14.3°C | 12.1°C | 9.8°C | 16.9°C | 5.9°C | 217 mm | 87% | 2.9 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1995 | 15.1°C | 12.6°C | 10.1°C | 18.3°C | 7.3°C | 100 mm | 85% | 2.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1994 | 13.1°C | 10.6°C | 8.0°C | 17.6°C | 3.7°C | 57 mm | 80% | 2.6 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1993 | 15.3°C | 12.2°C | 9.1°C | 19.1°C | 6.0°C | 47 mm | 76% | 2.5 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1992 | 14.0°C | 11.3°C | 8.7°C | 18.1°C | 5.5°C | 146 mm | 77% | 3.2 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1991 | 15.2°C | 11.9°C | 8.5°C | 19.5°C | 5.3°C | 89 mm | 75% | 2.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1990 | 13.8°C | 10.3°C | 6.8°C | 21.5°C | -0.2°C | 35 mm | 67% | 2.8 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1989 🔥 | 17.4°C | 13.6°C | 9.8°C | 21.9°C | 6.5°C | 3 mm | 65% | 1.9 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1988 | 13.9°C | 11.0°C | 8.1°C | 20.4°C | 3.7°C | 107 mm | 73% | 2.7 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1987 | 13.3°C | 10.9°C | 8.4°C | 17.0°C | 3.1°C | 106 mm | 78% | 3.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1986 | 15.9°C | 12.8°C | 9.7°C | 19.7°C | 7.8°C | 36 mm | 73% | 2.1 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1985 | 14.8°C | 12.0°C | 9.2°C | 20.1°C | 4.3°C | 44 mm | 73% | 2.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1984 | 13.0°C | 10.4°C | 7.9°C | 19.1°C | 4.6°C | 67 mm | 81% | 3.1 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1983 | 13.6°C | 11.8°C | 10.0°C | 17.6°C | 7.2°C | 130 mm | 86% | 3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 14.1°C | 11.3°C | 8.6°C | 16.7°C | 5.0°C | 87 mm | 77% | 3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 14.6°C | 12.1°C | 9.7°C | 19.0°C | 7.2°C | 73 mm | 84% | 2.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 14.5°C with lows near 9.1°C (mean 11.8°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 92 mm of rainfall in Salinas, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 239 mm in 2014.
The hottest December reached 22.8°C in 2017. The coldest dipped to -0.2°C in 1990.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 1.1°C. Daytime highs moved from 14°C to 15.2°C and overnight lows from 9.1°C to 10°C over the same span.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Salinas and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 14.5°C daytime highs and 9.1°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 3rd coolest month in Salinas, averaging 11.8°C.
For December in Salinas, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 14.5°C and lows of 9.1°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 79% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 2.6 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 3.7 m/s (1987).
The wettest December on record was 2014 with 239 mm. On average, December sees 92 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Salinas behaves each December, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for December specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
