Weather in Los Angeles--Christmas time? What to pack?
 

How cold is Los Angeles in the winter? (Over New Year's).

I just arrived from NY where the weather was 45 degrees or so, and many women were wearing these stylish cream colored (thin) down jackets with faux fur-lined hoods. Will it be this cold in LA? Woolen pea coat weather? Or just "sweater weather"?

Also, at this time of the year, is LA a mostly black/brown warddrobe place, or light, pastel, colored wardrobe place?

Thanks lots!

It can be chilly in December. Think layers. A cute thin down coat with a t-shirt underneath probably will be fine.

As for colors...wear whatever feels best to you!

You just never can predict in So California. We go to San Diego for Christmas every year...It can be warm and sunny with chilly nights or dreary and cold.

We come from Hawaii, so we are real babies about the cold, but we generally wear just jeans and sweatshirts with a tee shirt or sweater underneath. Only rarely do we need real winter jackets during the day.

My San Diego siblings are usually in a sweater or sweatshirt without the under layer, even when we go bkie riding.

What will the weather be like in LA in December is the age old question. As a native Angeleno I can honestly say I have seen the gamut from 80 degrees on New Years day to enough snow fall in the foothills above Pasadena for the kids to have a quick snowball fight before it melts away. Rain is also always a possibility in a strong El Niño Year. NOAA is calling this year to be a "marginal" El Niño year, calling few a few goood storms. But who knows for sure, eh?

By the holiday season I normally have used a pea coat and scarf at night, but the daytime will be temperate. SoCal cools significantly at night, and while it may seem that cold by the numbers, if always felt freezing to me after a nice sunny warm day. It can get down to 45 F at night, around 70F during the day. In SoCal we have learned the subtle art of layering, and the more practical approach of carrying a jacket and umbrella in the car all the time.

And I have found that a mostly black/brown wardrobe works anytime of year. I like to throw in a splash of color, maybe add pink shoes and purse, or colorful jewelry, but black always works for me. YMMV

I agree with heretodaygone2Maui's advice pretty much. As I am sure you know if you ever watch the Rose Bowl parade it is always a warm beautiful day on New Year's Day. Christmas Day is generally warm during the day and cold at night but it appears we might get some rain this winter.

Black is good. I usually wear black pants or jeans, black boots, a colored top and my black leather jacket at night. The only reason I own anything as heavy as a pea coat is for use when I travel elsewhere. The only time I might wear it here is if I am going to be walking around a lot at night.
If you are just going out to dinner a light weight jacket or sweater would be fine. The difference between NYC and LA besides the temperature is that in NYC you might be walking to dinner, the theatre, etc, in LA you drive to your destination and use Valet Parking!!

Thanks too all of you who took the time to type out a response to what my husband thinks is a trivial question...but hey, I'd rather pack the right things than be sorry! :)

With your responses, I get the picture--and thanks for reminding me that we're not really going to be walking as much as in NYC since we have rental cars! Layering it is..tshirt, cardigan, medium jacket. Thanks again.