Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome · Photo: Richard Wang took this photo and has released it under the GDFL. · CC BY-SA 3.0Santa Monica’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 50°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Santa Monica at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Santa Monica’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Santa Monica’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Santa Monica 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 Monica Pier, CA, 0.2 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Santa Monica’s center in zone 11a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 42°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
About 14 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 34 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Topanga Patrol Fc-6, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Santa Monica
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. No month averages under 55°.
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 Monica Pier, CA.
Living with Santa Monica’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 11a. Frost almost never comes, 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. 9.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Santa Monica from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (72%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Santa Monica and its neighbors
Los Angeles has the coldest January nights next door (49°, 1° colder) and Los Angeles the hottest July afternoons (78°, 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 Santa Monica’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 Monica, CA | 50° | 74° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| 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 Monica averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in all but 144 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 Monica compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Santa Monica’s place among California’s.
Santa Monica weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Santa Monica’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Topanga Patrol Fc-6, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| February | 64° | 50° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| March | 65° | 52° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| April | 67° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| May | 68° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| June | 71° | 60° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 74° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 76° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| September | 75° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 73° | 59° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| November | 69° | 53° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| December | 64° | 49° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| Year | 69° | 56° | 13.9" | 0.0" | 34 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 53° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Santa Monica’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 Monica’s center.
- Snow: Topanga Patrol Fc-6, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Monica Pier, CA, 0.2 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 Monica’s climate
What is the weather like in Santa Monica?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 50°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 175 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Santa Monica in winter?
December nights average 49°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 54°.
How much snow does Santa Monica get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Topanga Patrol Fc-6, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Santa Monica?
July, with a typical high of 74°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Santa Monica Pier, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Santa Monica?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Santa Monica Pier, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Santa Monica in?
Zone 11a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 42°.
What is the best time of year to visit Santa Monica?
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 Monica getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 144 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Santa Monica.
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.