Santa Monica sits near the top of U.S. towns for mild winters
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 95°. Rain follows the seasons: September brings about 4.9 times as much as January. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 94% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from November to March, with highs of 71–79°.
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 Texas 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 Harlingen, TX, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Santa Monica’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. 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 26 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain falls on about 77 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Harlingen, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Santa Monica
11% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. 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 Harlingen, TX.
Living with Santa Monica’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 3, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 60% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Santa Monica from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Santa Monica and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Santa Monica yet.
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, TX | 51° | 95° | 26" | 0.1" |
| Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 44° | 93° | 20" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Waihee-Waiehu, HI | 64° | 89° | 16" | 0.0" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
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 Monica averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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.
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 Texas’.
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 Harlingen, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71° | 51° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| February | 75° | 55° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 73° |
| March | 79° | 61° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| April | 85° | 65° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| May | 89° | 72° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| June | 93° | 75° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 82° – 88° |
| July | 95° | 76° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 82° – 88° |
| August | 96° | 76° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 84° – 89° |
| September | 92° | 73° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| October | 87° | 66° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| November | 78° | 58° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| December | 72° | 52° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| Year | 84° | 65° | 25.6" | 0.1" | 77 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 73°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
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: Harlingen, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Harlingen, TX, 13 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 Santa Monica’s climate
What is the weather like in Santa Monica?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 51°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Santa Monica in winter?
January nights average 51°. About 1 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 54°.
How much snow does Santa Monica get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Harlingen, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Santa Monica?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 76°. About 151 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Harlingen, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Santa Monica?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 31% of winters at Harlingen, TX, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Santa Monica in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
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, 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 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of 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.