San Diego (CA) Weather & Climate: Best Time to Visit
San Diego is a year-round destination with a semi arid and Mediterranean climate. The climate in San Diego often varies significantly over short geographical distances, resulting in different microclimates. In general you will experience warm, dry summers and mild winters. Most rain is seen between November and March.
Snow and ice are rare in wintertime. The record low temperature was -4°C (25°F). San Diego has on average around 145 sunny days and 115 cloudy days a year. There are an average of 40 days with measurable precipitation.
The best time to visit California and San Diego largely depends on what your destination is and exactly which places you want to visit within the state. For the coastal areas, different travel advice applies than for the Sierra Nevada mountain area or the Death Valley National Park. If you want to take a tour of California visiting all three areas, May, June and September are the best months.
Monthly Temperature in San Diego
The weather in San Diego changes moderately throughout the year, offering enough variation to appreciate each season. Average daytime temperatures reach a comfortable 26°C (79°F) in September. In January, the coolest month of the year, temperatures drop to a pleasant 19°C (66°F).
At night, temperatures range from around 19°C (66°F) in September to 9°C (48°F) in January.
Check out our detailed temperature page for more information.
Temperature ranges by month
Rainfall in San Diego
San Diego has a dry climate with very low precipitation, averaging 226 mm (8.9 in) of rainfall annually. San Diego can be quite wet during December, receiving approximately 59 mm (2.3 in) of precipitation over 7 rainy days.
In contrast, during the driest month (June), you will experience much drier conditions, with 0.4 mm (0.02 in) of precipitation spread across a single rainy day days. For more details, please visit our San Diego Precipitation page.
The mean monthly precipitation over the year, including rain, hail, and snow
The average number of days each month with precipitation
Sunshine Hours in San Diego
San Diego experiences moderate variation in sunshine hours across the seasons. With 10.1 hours daily sunshine in July, it dips to 7.7 hours in February, offering a balanced mix of sunny and overcast days.
Visit our detailed sunshine hours page for more information.
Monthly hours of sunshine
Daily hours of sunshine
Daily percentage of sunshine
Humidity in San Diego by Month
The relative humidity is high throughout the year in San Diego.
The city experiences its highest humidity in July, reaching 75%. In January, the humidity drops to its lowest level at 64%. What does this mean? Read our detailed page on humidity levels for further details.
Relative humidity over the year
San Diego (CA) 3-Day Forecast
Check the conditions for any month of the year.
Best Time to Visit San Diego
San Diego offers comfortable weather throughout the entire year, with temperatures consistently ranging from 19°C (66°F) to 26°C (79°F) across all twelve months. This exceptional climate stability makes it a year-round destination, though the drier months provide the best visiting conditions.Rainfall varies from 0 mm (0 in) in June to 59 mm (2.3 in) in December. The drier months like June offer the most pleasant conditions for exploring the area. Wondering where to travel based on your weather preferences? Our recommendation tool helps you find destinations with your ideal climate conditions. Use our weather planner to find your perfect destination.
