San Diego (CA) Weather and Climate: A Comprehensive Guide
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. 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.
Average maximum day and minimum night temperature
The climate in San Diego experiences moderate temperature changes, with mild shifts between seasons. Average maximum daytime temperatures range from a comfortable 26°C in September, the warmest time of the year, to a pleasant 19°C during cooler months like January.
At night, temperatures typically drop to an average of around 9°C during these months. Check out our detailed temperature page for more information.Temperature ranges by month
Precipitation and rainy days
San Diego has a dry climate with very low precipitation, averaging 226 mm of rainfall annually. Significant seasonal changes in precipitation occur throughout the year. During the wetter season, December receives moderate rainfall, averaging 59 mm of precipitation, recorded across 7 rainy days. In contrast, the drier season, June brings less rainfall, with 0.4 mm over a single rainy day. 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 over the year
While the amount of sunshine in San Diego varies throughout the year, all seasons offer their own charm. Enjoy up to 10.1 hours of daily sun in July, and experience slightly darker atmosphere in February, with about 7.7 hours of daily sunlight. Visit our detailed sunshine hours page for more information.Monthly hours of sunshine
Daily hours of sunshine
Daily percentage of sunshine
Average humidity
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%. Explore our detailed page on humidity levels for further details.
Relative humidity over the year
almost clear and no rain broken clouds and no rain partly cloudy and no rainForecast for San Diego (CA)
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The best time of year to visit San Diego in the United States of America
During the months of March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November you are most likely to experience good weather with pleasant average temperatures that fall between 20°C and 26°C.Other facts from our historical weather data:
The hottest season / summer takes place in July, August, September and October.
September has an average maximum temperature of 26°C and is the warmest month of the year.
The coldest month is January with an average maximum temperature of 19°C.
December tops the wettest month list with 59 mm of rainfall.
June is the driest month with 0 mm of precipitation.
July is the sunniest month with an average of 304 hours of sunshine.
No idea where to travel to this year? We have a tool that recommends destinations based on your ideal conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.
