December in San Jose, CA: shoulder season for golf — playable with smart tee time selection. Best tee times: late morning to early afternoon after dew burns off.
| Average December Weather | |
|---|---|
| Avg daily high | 59°F |
| Avg daily low | 44°F |
| Rainy days | 14 / mo |
| Avg peak wind | 8.1 mph |
Most golfers assume December in San Jose means cold, wind, and courses playing slow. The reality is more nuanced. Temperatures do sit at their annual low — a high of 59°F and a low of 44°F — but the winds are actually the calmest of the entire year at 8.1 mph. You won't be fighting gusts off the fairway. What will test you is rain: December ties March as the wettest month of the year, with 14 precipitation days on average, so course conditions are the real variable to watch.
The 15°F daily swing matters more than the peak temperature. Mornings starting near 44°F call for layers you'll want to shed by midday, and afternoon rounds, when the high reaches 59°F under calm air, can be genuinely comfortable. Plan your round accordingly and December often delivers more playable hours than its shoulder-season badge suggests.
With 14 rainy days spread across the month, check the 3-day forecast and book a late-morning tee time — around 9 or 10 AM — to let overnight moisture clear while still finishing before any afternoon showers arrive. Flexibility to reschedule without a fee is worth prioritizing when booking December rounds. See how conditions rate hour by hour on our playability scale.
November offers a noticeably warmer 65°F average high — 6°F above December — and only 7 precipitation days, making it the easier month to stay dry. January matches December degree-for-degree at 59°F and the same 44°F low, but adds 1.3 mph to peak wind while dropping to 11 rainy days, so it's technically drier and windier than December rather than interchangeable with it.
Climate normals show the long-term picture, but day-to-day weather varies. Check today's live golf weather score for San Jose, CA for the current playability rating, hourly wind, temperature, and the recommended tee time window.
← November in San Jose, CA • January in San Jose, CA →
December averages 14 precipitation days, making it the wettest month of the year alongside March, so rain interruptions are a genuine concern. That said, many days see brief showers rather than all-day downpours, and peak winds are only 8.1 mph — the calmest of any month — so when it is dry, conditions are quite manageable. Checking a short-range forecast and choosing flexible booking policies makes December golf workable.
Expect morning temperatures near 44°F at tee time if you're heading out early, climbing to an average high of 59°F by midday. That 15°F daily swing means the same round can feel cold at the start and comfortable by the finish. Gloves and a wind-layer are standard kit, but you're unlikely to face the biting winds common in December elsewhere — 8.1 mph is genuinely mild.