In general the best time to visit Santa Barbara is probably May, June, July, August, September, October, when the weather is usually great. The hottest months are July, August, September, while the coldest months are January, February, December.
Depending on the activities you want to experience, you may choose different months to visit:
The best time for a sunbathing holiday is July, August, September. Average maximum temperatures are up to +28°C in September and it has 23 sunny days on average.
In general, it’s pleasant to walk and do outdoor activities during January - December.
If you want to avoid wet weather, then your choice is January, February, March with the lowest chance of rain.
Average weather in Santa Barbara in different months
This is the average weather in Santa Barbara for each month based on historic data:
In May, June, July, August, September, October the weather is great. There are an average of 25 sunny days in August and the temperature ranges from +19°C to +28°C.
January, February, March, April, November, December usually has good weather. Average maximum temperature reaches +22°C during April.
Climate in Santa Barbara
Here is the detailed breakdown of the climate in Santa Barbara for each month:
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Maximum Temperature
+31°C
+30°C
+32°C
+35°C
+34°C
+36°C
+37°C
+38°C
+47°C
+39°C
+34°C
+28°C
Average Maximum Temperature
+19°C
+19°C
+20°C
+22°C
+24°C
+26°C
+28°C
+28°C
+28°C
+25°C
+21°C
+19°C
Minimum Temperature
+5°C
+4°C
+4°C
+7°C
+8°C
+11°C
+13°C
+14°C
+12°C
+10°C
+6°C
+2°C
Avg. water temperature
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Humidity, %
65
65
66
61
62
61
61
60
60
58
59
62
Rain, mm
94
94
82
25
11
3
2
2
5
15
33
69
Snow, mm
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Average wind speed, m/s
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Sunny Days
11
9
10
14
17
22
23
25
23
20
14
11
Cloud Days
12
10
11
10
9
6
5
3
4
7
11
12
Rainy Days
9
9
10
6
5
3
3
3
3
4
5
8
Snowy Days
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Average Temperature
Here are the average maximum and minimum temperatures in Santa Barbara during the whole year:
The hottest month in Santa Barbara is September with average maximum temperature going up to +28°C. The coldest month is January with the lowest temperatures of +11°C.
Humidity
The temperature feels different depending on humidity. Here is how humidity in Santa Barbara looks throughout the year, in %:
The most humid month in Santa Barbara is March with average humidity going up to 66%. The least humid month is October with an average humidity of 58%.
Rain
Amount of rainfall in mm. in Santa Barbara during the whole year based on historical data:
The sunniest and driest month is August with approximately 25 sunny days and a total precipitation of around 2 mm. The rainiest and wettest month is February with approximately 9 rainy days and 94 mm of total precipitation.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the weather in Santa Barbara:
What is the hottest month in Santa Barbara?
The hottest month in Santa Barbara is September with average maximum temperature of +28°C.
What is the coldest month in Santa Barbara?
The coldest month in Santa Barbara is January with minimum temperatures of +11°C.
Is Santa Barbara worth visiting in winter?
If you are planning to visit Santa Barbara in winter you can expect pretty good weather. The best month is September with +28°C and 23 sunny days.
When does it rain the least in Santa Barbara?
if you're looking to visit Santa Barbara when it rains the least, you should plan your trip for February, January, March. During this time, rainfall is rare with the driest month being July with only 2 mm of rain.
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Santa Barbara, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.