Minerva Club of Santa Maria · Photo: ELEAZARCH · CC BY-SA 4.0Santa Maria sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
Deep winter brings January lows near 42°. Only 38° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 93% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly February 4 to December 13.
A year in Santa Maria at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Santa Maria’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Santa Maria’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Santa Maria feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 315 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 4 and the first by December 13. Frost and day counts come from Santa Maria Public Airport, Santa Maria’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 2.4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Santa Maria’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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 15 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 51 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Twitchell Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Santa Maria
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
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 Maria Public Airport.
Living with Santa Maria’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
315 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 13.
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. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Santa Maria from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Santa Maria and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Santa Maria yet.
Climates most like Santa Maria’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 Maria, CA | 42° | 77° | 15" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Bethany, OR | 35° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Santa Maria averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 90% of 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. In a city of 111,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Santa Maria compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Santa Maria’s place among California’s.
Santa Maria weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Santa Maria’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Twitchell Dam, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 42° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| February | 65° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| March | 67° | 45° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| April | 69° | 46° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| July | 77° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| August | 78° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 76° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 70° | 45° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| December | 64° | 41° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 14.6" | 0.0" | 51 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 62°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Santa Maria’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 Maria’s center.
- Snow: Twitchell Dam, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Maria Public Airport, 2.4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the city’s official station.
- 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 Maria’s climate
What is the weather like in Santa Maria?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Santa Maria in winter?
December nights average 41°. About 9 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Santa Maria get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Twitchell Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Santa Maria?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 55°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Santa Maria Public Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Santa Maria?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 4 and the first fall frost by December 13, about 315 frost-free days, at Santa Maria Public Airport.
What growing zone is Santa Maria in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Santa Maria?
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 Maria getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Santa Maria.
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.