Best time to visit Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Our verdict

The best time to visit Santa Barbara is March-April

Based on all the essential things any traveller needs to know about visiting Santa Barbara such as the cost of travel, weather, peak travel seasons and many more, March-April is the best time of year to go.

In the height of summer, temperatures in Santa Barbara can reach a maximum of 29℃ (84℉). In the winter months, it can get down to as low as 7℃ (44℉) at night.

The sun stays up the longest in Santa Barbara in July, so you’ll get the most out of your daytime activities if you visit around this time. The wet season in Santa Barbara usually falls during the months surrounding January each year. It’s not uncommon to get some decent rainfall or light showers during this time, but on some days the weather tends to be fine for a majority of the day, with only a few drops of rain falling from a passing shower.

Learn more about when to travel to Santa Barbara, the monthly weather breakdown, FAQs and much more below. Once you’ve decided when you want to go, use our handy tools to find the best prices to suit your budget on flights, transport/transfers, places to stay, and loads more!

Warmest month

August

Least rainfall

June

Most daylight

July

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Santa Barbara seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Santa Barbara as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Santa Barbara is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Santa Barbara

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Santa Barbara for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Santa Barbara climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Santa Barbara for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Santa Barbara in January

  • Average temperature: 13℃ (55℉)
  • Average high temperature: 17℃ (62℉)
  • Average low temperature: 9℃ (49℉)
  • Average humidity: 59%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 40mm (2") over 5 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in January, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Barbara in February

  • Average temperature: 12℃ (54℉)
  • Average high temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average low temperature: 9℃ (48℉)
  • Average humidity: 62%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 35mm (1") over 6 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
6 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in February, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Barbara in March

  • Average temperature: 13℃ (56℉)
  • Average high temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average low temperature: 9℃ (49℉)
  • Average humidity: 64%
  • Average sunny days: 23 days
  • Average rainfall: 37mm (1") over 7 days
23 days
of pure sunshine
7 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in March, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Barbara in April

  • Average temperature: 15℃ (59℉)
  • Average high temperature: 19℃ (67℉)
  • Average low temperature: 10℃ (50℉)
  • Average humidity: 61%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 14mm (1") over 5 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in April, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Barbara in May

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (62℉)
  • Average high temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average low temperature: 12℃ (53℉)
  • Average humidity: 62%
  • Average sunny days: 27 days
  • Average rainfall: 4mm (0") over 2 days
27 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in May, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Santa Barbara in June

  • Average temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (74℉)
  • Average low temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average humidity: 61%
  • Average sunny days: 27 days
  • Average rainfall: 2mm (0") over 1 days
27 days
of pure sunshine
1 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in June, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Santa Barbara in July

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average high temperature: 25℃ (78℉)
  • Average low temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average humidity: 61%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 6mm (0") over 4 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
4 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in July, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Santa Barbara in August

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average high temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
  • Average low temperature: 17℃ (62℉)
  • Average humidity: 58%
  • Average sunny days: 28 days
  • Average rainfall: 2mm (0") over 1 days
28 days
of pure sunshine
1 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in August, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Santa Barbara in September

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
  • Average high temperature: 25℃ (78℉)
  • Average low temperature: 16℃ (62℉)
  • Average humidity: 56%
  • Average sunny days: 26 days
  • Average rainfall: 3mm (0") over 2 days
26 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in September, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.

Santa Barbara in October

  • Average temperature: 18℃ (65℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average low temperature: 15℃ (58℉)
  • Average humidity: 56%
  • Average sunny days: 28 days
  • Average rainfall: 5mm (0") over 2 days
28 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in October, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Santa Barbara in November

  • Average temperature: 15℃ (59℉)
  • Average high temperature: 19℃ (67℉)
  • Average low temperature: 12℃ (53℉)
  • Average humidity: 56%
  • Average sunny days: 26 days
  • Average rainfall: 13mm (1") over 3 days
26 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in November, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Barbara in December

  • Average temperature: 12℃ (54℉)
  • Average high temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average low temperature: 9℃ (49℉)
  • Average humidity: 59%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 34mm (1") over 6 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
6 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Barbara in December, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Santa Barbara is usually August, where temperatures tend to rise to around 26℃ (78℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Santa Barbara is generally around June. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in June first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Santa Barbara is generally around January, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of January too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Santa Barbara, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in July are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Santa Barbara map