Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours
The climate of Santa Monica is
arid sub-tropical, with very mild, relatively rainy winters and quite warm, sunny summers.
The city is located on the coast of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, where the climate is particularly mild due to the cold current flowing in the ocean. To the north we find the Santa Monica Mountains, to the south the city of Venice and the Los Angeles international airport. Daytime temperatures are a few degrees lower in summer than in Downtown Los Angeles. However, the temperature can rise a lot when the Santa Ana winds blow from the deserts of the interior. In these cases, the temperature can reach 37/38 °C (99/102 °F), and this can also happen in September or October. In May and June (but sometimes also in July and August) the so-called "June Gloom" can occur, the fog or a cloud cover coming from the ocean. Sometimes, fog can also form on winter nights. In winter, during the coldest nights, the temperature generally drops to 3/4 °C (37/39 °F). However, in 1990 and 2007, it dropped to 0 °C (32 °F).
The
average temperature of the coldest month (December) is of 13.3 °C (56 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 20.8 °C (69 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Santa Monica - Average temperatures| Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 9 | 18 | 13.8 | 48 | 65 | 56.8 |
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| February | 9 | 18 | 13.8 | 48 | 65 | 56.8 |
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| March | 10 | 19 | 14.6 | 51 | 66 | 58.3 |
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| April | 11 | 19 | 15 | 52 | 66 | 58.9 |
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| May | 13 | 20 | 16.8 | 56 | 69 | 62.2 |
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| June | 15 | 22 | 18.5 | 60 | 71 | 65.3 |
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| July | 17 | 24 | 20.5 | 63 | 75 | 68.8 |
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| August | 17 | 24 | 20.8 | 63 | 76 | 69.4 |
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| September | 16 | 24 | 20.1 | 61 | 75 | 68.2 |
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| October | 14 | 23 | 18.4 | 57 | 73 | 65.1 |
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| November | 11 | 21 | 15.7 | 51 | 69 | 60.3 |
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| December | 8 | 18 | 13.3 | 47 | 65 | 55.9 |
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| Year | 12.7 | 20.9 | 16.75 | 54.8 | 69.6 | 62 |
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amounts to 325 millimeters (12.8 inches) per year: it is therefore scarce. It ranges from 0 mm (0 in) in the driest months (June, July, August) to 85 mm (3.3 in) in the wettest (February). Here is the average precipitation.
Santa Monica - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 70 | 2.8 | 7 |
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| February | 85 | 3.3 | 8 |
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| March | 50 | 2 | 5 |
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| April | 15 | 0.6 | 2 |
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| May | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
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| June | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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| July | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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| August | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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| September | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
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| October | 15 | 0.6 | 1 |
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| November | 25 | 1 | 3 |
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| December | 50 | 2 | 4 |
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| Year | 325 | 12.8 | 33 |
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On average, there are around 3,445
sunshine hours per year. Therefore, the sun shines very often. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Santa Monica - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 7.5 | 230 | February | 8.5 | 235 | March | 9 | 275 | April | 10.5 | 315 | May | 10 | 305 | June | 10.5 | 315 | July | 12 | 380 | August | 11.5 | 365 | September | 10 | 300 | October | 9 | 275 | November | 7.5 | 230 | December | 7.5 | 225 | Year | 9.4 | 3450 |
The
sea temperature ranges between 14 °C (57 °F) and 19 °C (66 °F). So, it never becomes warm for swimming. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Santa Monica - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 14 | 58 | February | 14 | 58 | March | 14 | 58 | April | 14 | 58 | May | 15 | 59 | June | 16 | 61 | July | 18 | 64 | August | 19 | 65 | September | 19 | 65 | October | 18 | 64 | November | 17 | 62 | December | 15 | 59 | Year | 16.1 | 61 |
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Best Time
Having a great climate, Santa Monica can be visited all year round. However, from December to March, it can rain. In May and June, there may be morning mists. In summer, but especially in September and October, there can be very hot days, when the wind blows from the desert.
The best time to go to the beach is from July to October, when the sea is less cold.
Back to
California.