Photo: Pierre André · CC BY-SA 4.0Santa Barbara’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Santa Barbara at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Santa Barbara’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Santa Barbara’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Santa Barbara feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Santa Barbara, CA, 1.9 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Santa Barbara’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 37°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 20 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 Santa Barbara
73% of the work is heating. 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, CA.
Living with Santa Barbara’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 9, 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. 35 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Santa Barbara from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (61%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Santa Barbara and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Santa Barbara in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Santa Barbara’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara, CA | 44° | 75° | 20" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Oak Harbor, WA | 36° | 71° | 24" | 2.5" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Hayden, ID | 25° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
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 Santa Barbara averaged 2.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in all but 54 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 Santa Barbara compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Santa Barbara’s place among California’s.
Santa Barbara weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Santa Barbara’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 | 65° | 44° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| February | 65° | 45° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| March | 66° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| April | 69° | 49° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| May | 70° | 52° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| June | 72° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| July | 75° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| October | 75° | 53° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| November | 70° | 48° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| December | 65° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 57° |
| Year | 70° | 51° | 20.2" | 0.0" | 41 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 63°. December is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Santa Barbara’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 Santa Barbara’s center.
- Snow: Santa Barbara, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Barbara, CA, 1.9 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Santa Barbara’s climate
What is the weather like in Santa Barbara?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Santa Barbara in winter?
December nights average 44°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.4 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 52°.
How much snow does Santa Barbara get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Santa Barbara, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Santa Barbara?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 58°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Santa Barbara, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Santa Barbara?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 11% of winters at Santa Barbara, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Santa Barbara in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 37°.
What is the best time of year to visit Santa Barbara?
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 Santa Barbara getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 54 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Santa Barbara.
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.