Climate - Santa Barbara (California)

The climate of Santa Barbara is sub-tropical, with very mild, relatively rainy winters and quite warm, sunny summers.
The city is located 145 km (90 mi) northwest of Los Angeles, on the coast of the Pacific, where a cold current flows. We are in an area called "American Riviera" because of its location on the coast and with a mountain range a short distance away (the Santa Ynez Mountains).
In winter, there are a good number of sunny days, but at night it can be cold, and the temperature can drop to around freezing. In May and June, fog can form in the morning hours ("June gloom"). Summer is particularly cool, and looks more like that of San Diego than that of Los Angeles. Sometimes, there can be days with highs below 20 °C (68 °F). However, the temperature can exceed 35 °C (95 °F) when the Santa Ana winds blow, and this can also happen in the fall. The Santa Ana wind, however, have less noticeable effects than Los Angeles.
The average temperature of the coldest month (December) is of 11.2 °C (52 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 18.7 °C (66 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 475 millimeters (18.7 inches) per year: it is therefore quite scarce (although there may be periods of bad weather in winter). It ranges from 0 mm (0 in) in the driest months (June, July, August) to 120 mm (4.7 in) in the wettest (February). Here is the average precipitation.

On average, there are around 3,340 sunshine hours per year. Therefore, the sun shines very often. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

The sea temperature ranges between 14 °C (57 °F) and 18 °C (64 °F). So, it never becomes warm for swimming. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

Santa Barbara can be visited from April to October, since it is a mild and sunny period. In May and June, however, there may be morning fogs.
Winter is generally mild and sunny, but sometimes it can rain, and it can also get cold at night.

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