Photo: John Wiley User:Jw4nvc - Santa Barbara, California · CC BY 3.0Goleta’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Goleta at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Goleta’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Goleta’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Goleta feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Santa Barbara Muni Airport, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Santa Barbara 11 W, CA, 1.9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Goleta’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 31°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 18 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 41 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Santa Barbara, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Goleta
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Santa Barbara 11 W, CA.
Living with Goleta’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 2, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. 27 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Goleta from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (57%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Goleta and its neighbors
Santa Barbara has the coldest January nights next door (44°, 1° colder) and Santa Barbara the hottest July afternoons (75°, 4° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Goleta’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goleta, CA | 45° | 72° | 18" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Goleta averaged 2.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in all but 18 U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Goleta compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Goleta’s place among California’s.
Goleta weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Goleta’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Barbara, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 45° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| February | 64° | 47° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| March | 64° | 49° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| April | 66° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| May | 67° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| June | 69° | 56° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| July | 72° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| August | 73° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 73° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 72° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| November | 68° | 49° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| December | 64° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 57° |
| Year | 68° | 52° | 18.4" | 0.0" | 41 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. October swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 59° to 70°. December is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Goleta’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Goleta’s center.
- Snow: Santa Barbara, CA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Santa Barbara 11 W, CA, 1.9 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Santa Barbara Muni Airport, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Goleta’s climate
What is the weather like in Goleta?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 103 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Goleta in winter?
December nights average 45°. About 6 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 52°.
How much snow does Goleta get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Santa Barbara, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Goleta?
July, with a typical high of 72° and a low of 58°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Santa Barbara 11 W, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Goleta?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 46% of winters at Santa Barbara 11 W, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Goleta in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Goleta?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Goleta getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 18 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Goleta.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.