Santa Barbara (CA) Temperature by Month

Santa Barbara in California, United States of America enjoys a stable climate, with daytime temperatures staying close to 22°C (72°F) throughout the year. Explore the full monthly breakdown below.

The temperature in Santa Barbara changes very little across the seasons, maintaining a similar climate throughout the year. Maximum daytime temperatures range from a pleasant 18°C (64°F) in December to a comfortable 25°C (77°F) in September. Nighttime lows range from 15°C (59°F) in September to 7°C (45°F) in December.

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

The coldest point of the day usually falls between 4 AM and 6 AM, with temperatures peaking around 3 PM. September, the city's warmest month, gets 270 hours of sunshine.

The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:

Santa Barbara's average annual maximum temperature is 22°C (72°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:

Barcelona, Spain has an annual average of around 21°C (70°F), with warm summers and mild, fairly short winters.

Zermatt, Switzerland averages just 4°C (39°F) annually due to its altitude, with very cold winters and cool summers even at its warmest.

Seoul, South Korea averages 18°C (64°F) a year, with four clear seasons, cold winters, and hot humid summers.

Adelaide, Australia averages 21°C (70°F) a year, with warm summers, mild winters, and relatively low rainfall year-round.

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.

Global average temperatures have risen by around 1.2°C since the pre-industrial era, and the effects are visible across many regions. Winters are milder on average, with fewer frost days and less snow in many parts of the world. Heatwaves are more frequent and more intense, and Europe's summers of 2018, 2019, and 2020 all set records.

Summers are also getting drier in some areas, while winter rainfall has increased in others. This contributies to higher river levels and more flooding. In many countries, spring arrives earlier and autumn lasts longer. It has knock-on effects for wildlife, agriculture, and local ecosystems.

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