Santa Barbara Weather
Packing for a visit to Santa Barbara? Grab your sunscreen and ditch your raincoat! Few destinations can match Santa Barbara's near-perfect weather year-round, thanks to our unique, south-facing orientation, protective Channel Islands and ideal position just on the central coast of California.
Averaging 300 days of sunshine and only about 18 inches of rain a year, the weather in Santa Barbara is remarkably consistent. Daytime temperatures range from the mid-60s to the mid-70s and are usually accompanied by low humidity and a gentle ocean breeze. Nights are refreshingly cool during the summer and well above freezing during the winter. The inland and mountain portions of Santa Barbara County see hotter high temperatures - an average of 15-20°F hotter during the day - and colder low temperatures.
If you're visiting Santa Barbara during the fall months, you may experience "Sundowner" winds, also known as "Santa Anas," where temperatures rise and humidity drops as the winds shift to blow from the hot inland areas towards the ocean. This usually occurs just before sundown, and it's a wonderful sensation to feel the warm wind as you watch the sunset.
Ocean temperatures remain relatively cool year-round, averaging 55°F in the winter and 65°F in the summer, but can reach the mid-70s in the fall. Because of these cool ocean temperatures, most surfers and water-goers wear wetsuits during the winter and spring months, while beach-goers splash along our shores in bathing suits and swim trunks throughout summer and fall.
