Santa Barbara weather by month & the best time to visit
United States · seaside town · Mediterranean climate
The best time to visit Santa Barbara is July — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 100/100), with August and June close behind. Santa Barbara averages about 3,525 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 28°C / 82°F and roughly 2 mm of rain in July.
When is the best time to visit Santa Barbara?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Santa Barbara is July, then August and June. The dullest month is February (64/100, 78 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara is one of the sunniest places on Earth: about 3,525 hours of sunshine a year. July (100/100) is noticeably better than February (64). It ranks #34 of 580 destinations in United States for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,279 hours. Rain has a clear season: the wettest stretch, around January, carries about 59% of the annual 404 mm.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 70 | 18° / 64°F | 11° / 52°F | 90 mm | 3 | 15° / 59°F |
| February | 64 | 17° / 63°F | 10° / 50°F | 78 mm | 4 | 15° / 59°F |
| March | 81 | 19° / 66°F | 11° / 52°F | 63 mm | 6 | 15° / 59°F |
| April | 95 | 20° / 68°F | 12° / 54°F | 27 mm | 7 | 15° / 59°F |
| May | 98 | 23° / 73°F | 14° / 57°F | 11 mm | 8 | 16° / 61°F |
| June | 99 | 26° / 79°F | 17° / 63°F | 3 mm | 9 | 18° / 64°F |
| July | 100 | 28° / 82°F | 19° / 66°F | 2 mm | 10 | 20° / 68°F |
| August | 100 | 28° / 82°F | 19° / 66°F | 1 mm | 9 | 21° / 70°F |
| September | 99 | 28° / 82°F | 18° / 64°F | 3 mm | 7 | 21° / 70°F |
| October | 96 | 25° / 77°F | 16° / 61°F | 22 mm | 5 | 19° / 66°F |
| November | 94 | 21° / 70°F | 13° / 55°F | 32 mm | 3 | 15° / 59°F |
| December | 65 | 17° / 63°F | 11° / 52°F | 72 mm | 2 | 14° / 57°F |
Sea temperature in Santa Barbara by month
The sea off Santa Barbara is warmest in August at around 21°C / 70°F, and coolest in December at 14°C / 57°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 2 months a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
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Head-to-head
How Santa Barbara compares month by month: Santa Barbara vs Los Angeles · Santa Barbara vs Ontario · Santa Barbara vs San Luis Obispo · all comparisons
Santa Barbara: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara is a seaside town in United States with a Mediterranean climate — the sea reaches 21°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) about 2 months a year.
How many hours of sunshine does Santa Barbara get a year?
Santa Barbara gets about 3,525 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around July.
When is the best time to visit Santa Barbara?
The sunniest time to visit Santa Barbara is July, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 100/100 (with August and June close behind). Expect daytime highs around 28°C / 82°F.
What is the least sunny month in Santa Barbara?
February is the least sunny month in Santa Barbara, scoring 64/100 with about 78 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Santa Barbara?
The sea in Santa Barbara ranges from about 14°C (December) to 21°C (August). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Santa Barbara?
The typical midday UV index in Santa Barbara peaks around 10 (very high) in July, easing to about 2 (low) in December. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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