Season guide · Los Angeles · United States
Los Angeles in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Gnaphron, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Mild, sunny days and cool nights, with most of the year's rain arriving in short storms; snow-capped mountains on clear days and lower prices outside the holidays. Expect highs up to 21°C (70°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F), with about 17 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 9°C (48°F) to 21°C (70°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 17
- Sea
- 15°C (59°F) to 16°C (61°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20°C (68°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 6 | 10.1 h | 3/5 |
| February | 21°C (70°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 6 | 10.9 h | 3/5 |
| December | 20°C (68°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 5 | 9.9 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 20°C (68°F) against a yearly 24°C (75°F), and 17 of the year's roughly 32 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena (1 January, or 2 January when the 1st is a Sunday)
- January: Lunar New Year Golden Dragon Parade in Chinatown (late January or February)
- December: Holiday seasons at Disneyland and Universal Studios (usually mid-November to early January)
Good choices for winter
Museum · Brentwood
Getty Center
Richard Meier's travertine-clad hilltop campus holds European paintings including Van Gogh's Irises, plus photography, sculpture and decorative arts, and Robert Irwin's Central Garden.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Views
- Architecture
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Museum · Miracle Mile
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Come at dusk to see Urban Light switch on, then walk next door to the La Brea Tar Pits.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- After dark
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Museum · Miracle Mile
La Brea Tar Pits
In Hancock Park, natural asphalt seeps have trapped animals for tens of thousands of years, and scientists still recover mammoth, sabre-toothed cat and dire wolf fossils.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Nature
- Rainy day
Gallery · Downtown LA
The Broad
Afterwards, cross Grand Avenue to the Walt Disney Concert Hall and climb to its public rooftop garden.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Market · Downtown LA
Grand Central Market
Open since 1917 on Broadway, Grand Central Market's food hall mixes long-running Mexican stalls selling carnitas and pupusas with newer counters for egg sandwiches, ramen and falafel.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Rainy day
Day trips in winter
- Disneyland Resort (About 45–90 minutes by car) — The original Disney park, opened by Walt Disney in 1955, sits beside Disney California Adventure in Anaheim.
- Santa Catalina Island (About 1 hour by ferry from Long Beach) — Avalon, the island's small harbour town, has a 1929 Art Deco casino building (a ballroom, not a gambling hall), glass-bottom boat trips, snorkelling at Lovers Cove and hiking in the protected interior, where a herd of bison roams.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Los Angeles?
It is a trade-off: Mild, sunny days and cool nights, with most of the year's rain arriving in short storms; snow-capped mountains on clear days and lower prices outside the holidays. The best months overall are March–May and September–November.
+What is the weather like in Los Angeles in winter?
Highs of up to 21°C (70°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F), with about 17 rainy days over the season.