ERA5 almanac comparison — 8 years of real data
Big Sur vs Palm Springs: weather in December
Palm Springs edges out Big Sur for sun in December: 24% clear historically versus 4% (8-year ERA5 average, a 20-point gap). Big Sur also sees measurably more rain than Palm Springs this month (36% vs 10% of days). Both are viable — Palm Springs is the safer bet.
What you are reading: 8-year historical averages, not a forecast.
Either destination can still surprise you this specific December. For this
week’s actual forecast, each destination links to its live page below.
Big Sur
CA
- Clear days, December
- 4%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 60°F
- Early December (1st–15th)
- 6%
- Late December (16th–end)
- 2%
- Rain frequency
- 36% of days
Palm Springs
CA
- Clear days, December
- 24%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 68°F
- Early December (1st–15th)
- 28%
- Late December (16th–end)
- 20%
- Rain frequency
- 10% of days
Compare Big Sur vs Palm Springs in another month
All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.