Big Sur (CA) Temperature by Month

The average annual maximum temperature in Big Sur, California, United States of America is 19°C (66°F), with daytime highs ranging from 14°C (57°F) in December to 23°C (73°F) in September. This page covers monthly averages, day-night differences, and how Big Sur compares to cities worldwide.

The moderate changes in the climate in Big Sur ensure gradual weather shifts through each season. At night, temperatures drop to between 13°C (55°F) and 6°C (43°F) depending on the time of year.

The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in Big Sur by month:

From around 4 AM to 6 AM temperatures are at their lowest; by 3 PM they've climbed to their daily peak.

The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:

Big Sur's average annual maximum temperature is 19°C (66°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:

Seville, Spain averages 23°C (73°F) a year, one of the warmer cities in Western Europe, with long hot summers.

Reykjavík, Iceland averages 9°C (48°F) a year, mild summers by Icelandic standards, but cold winters and frequent wind.

Osaka, Japan averages 22°C (72°F) annually, with hot humid summers, mild winters, and pleasant spring and autumn seasons.

Melbourne, Australia averages 20°C (68°F) annually, known for unpredictable weather, with four seasons sometimes happening in one day.

Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.

The readings come from a range of sources, land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.

Seasonal temperature shifts influence more than just how warm it feels, they also drive changes in rainfall, cloud cover, and wind patterns throughout the year.

Warmer air holds more moisture, which tends to mean heavier or more frequent rain during the warmer months. When temperatures drop in winter, any precipitation that does fall is more likely to come as snow or sleet, though in Big Sur this rarely lasts long on the ground.

For more on Big Sur's weather, including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity, visit our Big Sur climate page.