What to pack for San Diego in November and December (weather, ocean temps, El Niño)
Pack layers: San Diego's coast averages highs near 71°F in November and 66°F in December with lows around 55°F and 50°F, and it gets dark before 5 p.m. Add a rain shell this year, because NOAA expects a strong El Niño through winter 2026-27 and tilts the odds toward a wetter-than-normal season in California.
- Coast high / low
- 71°F / 55°F (Nov), 66°F / 50°F (Dec)
- Rain
- 0.79 in. Nov, 1.67 in. Dec
- Sunset
- 4:57 p.m. on Nov 3
- Ocean
- 75°F on Nov 1, 2026
San Diego airport 1991-2020 normals
Normals; El Niño tilts this winter's odds wetter
Earliest sunsets around 4:42-4:43 p.m. near the start of December
NOAA buoy 46254 off Scripps Pier; unusually warm
The short version
- Airport normals (1991-2020): Nov high 70.7°F / low 54.8°F; Dec high 66.0°F / low 49.8°F
- December is the wetter month: 1.67 in. of rain on about 6 days, vs 0.79 in. in November
- El Cajon nights run about 7-8°F colder than the coast; Julian's December highs average 52°F
- Scripps Pier buoy read 75.2°F water on Nov 1, 2026, about 10°F above the usual November figure
- NOAA's Oct 8, 2026 update: strong-to-very-strong El Niño likely through Jan-Mar 2027
November and December in San Diego are mild, sunny most days, and short on daylight. The swing is between day and night more than between days: a 70°F afternoon at the beach can drop into the low 50s after sunset. And the farther inland you go, the bigger that swing gets. This year has an extra variable, a strong El Niño, so we'd plan for a few rainy days. Background: El Niño 2026: will it rain in San Diego?.
70.7°F
November average high
Low 54.8°F, San Diego airport, 1991-2020
66.0°F
December average high
Low 49.8°F
1.67 in.
December rain
About 6 days with rain; November 0.79 in.
Coast vs. inland vs. mountains
Average high / low by area
| Place | November | December | Rain (Dec) |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego airport (coast) | 70.7°F / 54.8°F | 66.0°F / 49.8°F | 1.67 in. |
| El Cajon (inland valley) | 75.2°F / 47.1°F | 68.5°F / 41.7°F | n/a |
| Julian (mountains) | 60.0°F / 43.4°F | 52.2°F / 38.1°F | 3.47 in. |
San Diego airport (coast)
- November
- 70.7°F / 54.8°F
- December
- 66.0°F / 49.8°F
- Rain (Dec)
- 1.67 in.
El Cajon (inland valley)
- November
- 75.2°F / 47.1°F
- December
- 68.5°F / 41.7°F
- Rain (Dec)
- n/a
Julian (mountains)
- November
- 60.0°F / 43.4°F
- December
- 52.2°F / 38.1°F
- Rain (Dec)
- 3.47 in.
Source: NOAA 1991-2020 normals as tabulated on Wikipedia; checked Nov 3, 2026. The NWS San Diego office's older 1948-1990 airport figures are within 2°F.
Inland valleys are warmer by day and colder by night: El Cajon's December lows average 41.7°F, about 8°F below the coast. In the mountains, Julian averages a 52°F December high; NOAA's normals show only 0.2 in. of snow in December, so snow is the exception. If you're heading to Julian for apple pie or to the Laguna Mountains, bring a real jacket and a hat, not just a hoodie.
Julian runs about 14°F cooler than the coast in December.
Photo: -- Microsomen 17:11, 31 May 2005 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Ocean temperatures and El Niño
Normally the ocean is around 65°F in November and 62°F in December. Not this year: NOAA's buoy 46254 off Scripps Pier in La Jolla read 75.2°F early on Nov 1, 2026. The September monthly report from the National Weather Service also had the airport 3.1°F above normal. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (Oct 8, 2026) has an El Niño Advisory in effect, with Niño-3.4 at +2.1°C and a strong-to-very-strong event likely through January-March 2027. Its Oct 15 seasonal outlook gives above-normal precipitation better odds across much of California, but temperatures are a coin flip. Wetter odds are not a guarantee of rain on your dates. Before swimming after a storm, read swim after rain advisory.
The NOAA buoy off this pier is a good check on water temperature.
November-December at a glance
Highs near 71°F, little rain (November)
Highs near 66°F, wetter (December)
Strong El Niño likely (CPC) (November to March)
- 1NovSunset 4:57 p.m. on Nov 3
- 2DecEarliest sunsets ~4:42-4:43 p.m.
Normals from NOAA 1991-2020; El Niño window from NOAA CPC, Oct 8, 2026.
Packing list
- Light jacket or fleece for after 5 p.m. at the coast; a warmer coat for El Cajon nights or Julian
- Packable rain shell and shoes that can handle a wet sidewalk (El Niño year)
- T-shirts and one pair of shorts: the warmest November day of a typical year averages 85°F at the airport
- Long pants or jeans for evenings and outdoor holiday events
- Sunscreen and sunglasses: about 73-74% of possible sunshine in Nov-Dec
- Swimsuit; a 3/2 mm wetsuit if you surf or swim long (water is warm now but usually drops toward 62°F in December)
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 3, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Nature runs on its own schedule: seasons shift with the weather and the ocean, so treat the timing here as typical, not guaranteed.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
- PrimaryENSO Diagnostic Discussion
NOAA Climate Prediction Center · Issued October 8, 2026
El Niño Advisory; Niño-3.4 +2.1°C; strong-to-very-strong likely through JFM 2027
- Primary90-day outlook discussion
NOAA Climate Prediction Center · Issued October 15, 2026
Above-normal precipitation favored for much of California; Southwest temps equal chances
NOAA National Data Buoy Center · Observation 4:26 a.m. PST, Nov 1, 2026
Water temperature 75.2°F
National Weather Service San Diego · Issued October 2, 2026
September mean 3.1°F above normal
National Weather Service San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
1948-1990 Nov/Dec means, within 2°F of the newer normals
- BackgroundClimate of San Diego
Wikipedia (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) · Checked November 3, 2026
Airport normals, rain days, sunshine percentage, typical sea temps
- BackgroundEl Cajon, California (climate table)
Wikipedia (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) · Checked November 3, 2026
Nov/Dec highs and lows
- BackgroundJulian, California (climate table)
Wikipedia (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) · Checked November 3, 2026
Nov/Dec highs, lows, rain
- BackgroundSan Diego sunrise and sunset
SolarWatch · Checked November 3, 2026
4:57 p.m. Nov 3; 4:43 p.m. Dec 3, 2026
NBC 7 San Diego · September 30, 2024
Earliest sunset 4:42 p.m. (2024 dates)