Los Angeles' climate is moderate year-round, and December temperatures in the 60s and 70s may feel odd when other regions are experiencing a white Christmas.
However, Angelenos don’t rely on the weather to indicate the holiday season, says retired SoCal weatherman and comedian Fritz Coleman.
“You have to get your signals from somewhere else. There are no seasonal changes to put you in the mood, so the only way you know it’s Christmas is … [when] the Christmas trees at Bloomingdale’s go up,” says Coleman.
Malls and shopping centers are some of the best places to experience the traditional snowy holiday feel in greater Los Angeles. Beyond festive decorations, you can see artificial snowfall at Glendale’s The Grove and Americana at Brand at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. now through December 25.
For those who want to play in the snow, LA County Parks and Recreation hosts “Parks After Dark,” where 40-80 tons of fake snow are dumped at select county parks on Fridays and Saturdays from Dec. 1-16. There, people can enjoy hot cocoa, carnival games, and holiday music between sled runs and snow frolicking.
While snow may not meteorologically be in the cards for Los Angeles, LA Times journalist and author Patt Morrison says Hollywood is the perfect place to fake it.
“We’re used to living in an MGM kind of world, right? Sometimes you drive down the street and you see cop cars and helicopters, and you aren’t sure for a second whether it’s a real incident or they’re shooting a movie. So we’re very suggestible about Christmas too; we’re very flexible,” says Morrison.
Then in Koreatown, the Winter Holiday Carnival will feature free food, arts and crafts, and more than 60 tons of fake snow on December 16 from 2-4 p.m. at Koreatown’s Seoul International Park.
Further south in Orange County’s Newport Beach, the city’s Christmas boat parade is happening now through December 17. Check out decorated yachts, boats, and kayaks illuminating Newport Harbor from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Of course, you can’t forget the colorfully lit houses along particular stretches of El Segundo (1200 block of East Acacia Ave.), Torrance (Pacific Coast Highway and Calle Mayor), Santa Clarita (21865 Copper Hill Dr.), and Altadena (Santa Rosa Ave, between Woodbury Ave. and Altadena Dr.). The LA Zoo, Palos Verdes’ South Coast Botanic Garden, and La Cañada Flintridge’s Descanso Gardens also have dazzling nighttime light events.
Even without the traditional winter chill, Angelenos still have more than enough Christmas spirit to spare.