Climate & Weather in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara has a real warm-summer Mediterranean climate, widely regarded as among the most temperate in the country -- mild, dry summers and cool, wetter winters.
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Learn moreA real, widely-regarded-as-ideal Mediterranean climate
Santa Barbara's climate is classified as warm-summer Mediterranean (Köppen Csb) -- July, the warmest month, averages an 81°F high, while January, the coolest, averages a 47°F low. Annual temperatures typically range 42°F-77°F and are rarely below 35°F or above 84°F.
Real, mild, wetter winters and approximately 283 sunny days per year
Annual rainfall runs approximately 22 inches, concentrated in winter, alongside approximately 283 sunny days per year -- a genuinely mild, sunny climate distinct from the hotter, drier-summer inland and Central Valley markets covered elsewhere in this project.
A genuine contributor to Santa Barbara's wildfire risk
Santa Barbara's dry summer season and surrounding chaparral hillsides are a real, contributing factor to the area's genuine wildfire risk -- see the insurance-hazard-costs topic page for the 2017 Thomas Fire and its consequences in full.
Key takeaways
- Santa Barbara's real Mediterranean climate averages an 81°F July high and a 47°F January low.
- Annual precipitation runs approximately 22 inches, with approximately 283 sunny days per year.
- Santa Barbara's mild, dry climate is genuinely different from the Central Valley and inland Southern California markets covered elsewhere in this project.
- The dry summer season and surrounding hillsides genuinely contribute to real wildfire risk -- see the insurance-hazard-costs topic page.
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