Santa Barbara, CA Climate & Monthly Averages
Santa Barbara has a Mediterranean climate. August is the hottest month, averaging 85° by day; January is the coldest at 65°.
Sunshine is a defining feature of Santa Barbara's climate
9 months of the year in Santa Barbara land in the band most people call comfortable - highs between 18°C and 27°C with rain on fewer than twelve days. The exceptions sit at either end: August at 85°F (29°C) and January at 65°F (19°C).
How sun, temperature and rain fit together
Relative humidity averages 59% across the year, drier than about 86% of the cities we track. January bottoms out at 65°F (19°C) in daylight, 48°F (9°C) after dark. August is the warm end of the year, averaging 85°F (29°C) by day and 66°F (19°C) overnight. Across the gridded 2015-2024 daily record, the highest daily maximum for this location was 114°F (46°C) and the lowest daily minimum 31°F (0°C).
Precipitation concentrates in January - 4.9 inches (125 mm) on 7 days - and thins out by July.
6 months average under 20 mm of rain, the longest unbroken stretch running May through October. Sunshine averages 11.0 hours a day over the year - sunnier than 95% of the 3496 cities in our dataset, peaking in July at 13.8 hours. Days and nights are about 10°C apart on average - wider than roughly 76% of the cities we track.
More climate facts for Santa Barbara
- Hottest month: August - highs near 85°F (29°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 65°F (19°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 114°F (46°C) high · 31°F (0°C) low
- Wettest month: January (7 rainy days) · Sunniest: July (13.8 h sun/day)
- Climate type: Mediterranean
- Annual swing: 11°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 10°C
- Average humidity: 59%
The most comfortable sunny-weather window
Best time to visit Santa Barbara
The best time to visit Santa Barbara is generally January to June, when the dry season is running but the afternoons are still bearable. Daytime temperatures in that window sit near 70°F (21°C), with rain on about 4 days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in January.
What to pack
Pack for Santa Barbara with light clothing for the warm months. Note the gap between afternoon and night: August pairs 85°F (29°C) with 66°F (19°C).
Monthly climate table
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65° | 48° | 7 | 4.9 in | 8.2 h/day | 10.1 h | 21% | 62% |
| February | 66° | 47° | 5 | 3.8 in | 9.4 h/day | 10.9 h | 18% | 58% |
| March | 68° | 49° | 8 | 4.0 in | 10.3 h/day | 11.9 h | 26% | 62% |
| April | 72° | 53° | 3 | 1.0 in | 11.8 h/day | 13.0 h | 10% | 59% |
| May | 72° | 55° | 2 | 0.5 in | 13.0 h/day | 13.9 h | 7% | 67% |
| June | 79° | 61° | 1 | 0.2 in | 13.2 h/day | 14.4 h | 2% | 64% |
| July | 83° | 65° | 0 | 0.0 in | 13.8 h/day | 14.2 h | 1% | 62% |
| August | 85° | 66° | 0 | 0.1 in | 12.8 h/day | 13.4 h | 2% | 58% |
| September | 83° | 64° | 1 | 0.2 in | 11.6 h/day | 12.3 h | 4% | 56% |
| October | 80° | 60° | 2 | 0.5 in | 10.6 h/day | 11.2 h | 6% | 49% |
| November | 72° | 52° | 3 | 1.1 in | 9.4 h/day | 10.3 h | 10% | 49% |
| December | 66° | 48° | 6 | 3.4 in | 8.3 h/day | 9.9 h | 19% | 58% |
Santa Barbara month by month
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Santa Barbara's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 8.2 h
- Daylight
- 10.1 h
February
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 9.4 h
- Daylight
- 10.9 h
March
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 10.3 h
- Daylight
- 11.9 h
April
- Rain
- 3 days
- Sunshine
- 11.8 h
- Daylight
- 13.0 h
May
- Rain
- 2 days
- Sunshine
- 13.0 h
- Daylight
- 13.9 h
June
- Rain
- 1 day
- Sunshine
- 13.2 h
- Daylight
- 14.4 h
July
- Rain
- 0 days
- Sunshine
- 13.8 h
- Daylight
- 14.2 h
August
- Rain
- 0 days
- Sunshine
- 12.8 h
- Daylight
- 13.4 h
September
- Rain
- 1 day
- Sunshine
- 11.6 h
- Daylight
- 12.3 h
October
- Rain
- 2 days
- Sunshine
- 10.6 h
- Daylight
- 11.2 h
November
- Rain
- 3 days
- Sunshine
- 9.4 h
- Daylight
- 10.3 h
December
- Rain
- 6 days
- Sunshine
- 8.3 h
- Daylight
- 9.9 h
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Santa Barbara's coolest part of the year: January, December, February.
Seasonal weather under Santa Barbara's sunnier skies
Spring (March through May)
Through spring, Santa Barbara is pleasantly warm: 71°F (22°C) by day, 53°F (11°C) after dark, and rain comes on about 13 days over the three months. Daylight is generous - around 11.7 hours of sun a day.
Summer (June through August)
Summer brings hot afternoons here - highs near 82°F (28°C), nights near 64°F (18°C), and precipitation is sparse, near 10 mm (0.4 in) for the season. Daylight is generous - around 13.3 hours of sun a day.
Fall (September through November)
Fall in Santa Barbara settles into easy warmth, with daytime highs averaging 78°F (26°C) and nights around 59°F (15°C); precipitation is sparse, near 1.8 inches (45 mm) for the season. Daylight is generous - around 10.5 hours of sun a day.
Winter (December through February)
Through winter, Santa Barbara is crisp but comfortable: 66°F (19°C) by day, 48°F (9°C) after dark, and rain comes on about 18 days over the three months.
How unusual is Santa Barbara?
- Rain or snow reaches the ground on 38 days a year - fewer wet days than all but 6% of the 3496 cities we track.
- 64% of the year's precipitation falls in its wettest three months - more seasonal than 94% of the 3496 cities we track.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.
Santa Barbara temperature extremes in the 2015–2024 dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.