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San Diego weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

Blessed with some of the mildest, sunniest weather in the United States, San Diego pairs its laid-back Pacific beach culture with a gentle, semi-arid coast: warm dry summers, soft winters, and the famous grey marine layer of early summer. San Diego weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, records and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

+15.0°Fhigh well above average

86° / 67°Today
71° / 62°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

+2.0°Faverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–4933days above 77°F a year now (2016–2025) · 26 in the 1940sdays above 77°F · 26 in the 1940s+2.0°F vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 2.0 incheshigh 62°low 52°February, rain 2.2 incheshigh 62°low 53°March, rain 1.9 incheshigh 63°low 54°April, rain 0.9 incheshigh 65°low 56°May, rain 0.3 incheshigh 66°low 58°June, rain 0.1 incheshigh 69°low 61°July, rain 0.04 incheshigh 73°low 64°August, rain 0.1 incheshigh 74°low 66°September, rain 0.2 incheshigh 74°low 65°October, rain 0.5 incheshigh 71°low 62°November, rain 1.1 incheshigh 67°low 57°December, rain 1.7 incheshigh 63°low 53°wettest month February, 2.2 inches · 11.0 inches a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Clear

Right now

66.9°

62°feels like
38%humidity
40°dew point
5 mphfrom NE
UV index0.0
sunrise06:55sunset18:12day length11h 17m
TodayClear86°67°
MonClear84°65°
TueClear75°69°
WedClear75°68°
ThuClear71°66°
FriClear71°66°
SatClear80°67°

On this date: October 18

Today (forecast)
86° / 67°
Average for October 18
71° / 62°

High well above average · +15.0°F

  • Record high: 85.7° · 1940
  • Record low: 56.2° · 1946
  • One year ago: 76° / 61°

Every October 18 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 18 on record (n = 87). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for San Diego is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 32.72°N, 117.16°W, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
32.72°N, 117.16°W
Time zone
America/Los Angeles
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

29 of the last 31 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: +6.3°F.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

San Diego has been classified as both a hot semi-arid (Köppen BSh) and a Mediterranean climate (Csa), reflecting how mild and dry it is. The Pacific Ocean and the cool California Current are the dominant influences, holding temperatures within an unusually narrow range year-round. A persistent marine layer, the low cloud that brings 'May gray' and 'June gloom', keeps the coast cool and damp, while the city's hills, canyons and bay carve out a patchwork of microclimates.

Rain is scarce and falls mostly in winter; snow is essentially unheard of on the coast. The real seasonal hazard is fire: hot, dry autumn conditions have fuelled major wildfires in the region, including the destructive Cedar Fire of October 2003 and the wildfires of 2007. Offshore, the ocean has been warming: water temperatures at the historic Scripps Pier have risen since the mid-20th century.

August brings the year's peak warmth, with afternoons typically reaching 74.4°F and nights around 65.9°F. In a typical recent year, around 35 days reach 77°F or more. At the other extreme, January brings afternoon highs of about 62.2°F and typical overnight lows of 51.9°F. Freezing temperatures almost never occur.

The yearly total for San Diego comes to about 11.0 inches; monthly amounts range from 0.04 inches in July up to 2.2 inches in February.

Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in San Diego has risen by 2.0°F between its first decade and its last. You can follow the shift year by year in the charts below.

Sources:en.wikipedia.orgbritannica.comweather.gov

Climate graph (climograph)

August is the warmest month, January the coolest: a yearly swing of 13°F. Wettest month: February (~2.2 in). Whole year averages ~11.0 inches of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 27 rainy days a year: most in March (~5), fewest in July (almost none).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 0.08 in per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

San Diego month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Record high/low are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightRecord highRecord low
January62.2°51.9°2.0 in410.1 h77.9° (2003)37.2° (1949)
February62.4°52.5°2.2 in510.8 h80.3° (2016)42.0° (1990)
March62.8°53.9°1.9 in511.8 h83.6° (1988)45.4° (1971)
April64.7°56.0°0.9 in312.8 h89.5° (1989)44.8° (1999)
May66.2°58.3°0.3 in113.7 h86.7° (2014)51.3° (1950)
June68.9°60.8°0.1 in014.1 h88.8° (1981)54.0° (1971)
July72.9°64.4°0.04 in014.0 h88.0° (1985)56.6° (1944)
August74.4°65.9°0.1 in013.2 h87.8° (1955)59.6° (1950)
September74.2°65.5°0.2 in012.2 h98.2° (1963)56.8° (1948)
October71.4°62.2°0.5 in111.2 h93.9° (1945)49.2° (1971)
November67.3°57.1°1.1 in310.3 h89.1° (2016)46.1° (2010)
December63.1°52.9°1.7 in49.9 h78.0° (1980)39.8° (1990)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by +2.0°F.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.24°F per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Dec–Feb is warming fastest: +0.26°F per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 77°F per year: 25.8 early in the record → 32.6 recently. Frost days: 0 → 0.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

All-time high in 1963, all-time low in 1949: 98.2°F / 37.2°F.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~11.0 in/year on average. Last decade: +7% vs that average. Long-term trend: +0.03 in per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about San Diego

Which is the warmest month in San Diego?
On long-term average, the warmest month in San Diego is August (mean daily temperature of about 69.4°F) and the coolest is January (about 56.4°F).
How does today's temperature in San Diego compare to the historical average?
On October 18, 2026, San Diego is forecast to reach a high of 86.2°F and a low of 66.9°F. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 71.2°F and a low of 62.0°F, so today's high is 15.0°F warmer than that average.
How much has San Diego warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in San Diego is about 2.0°F warmer.
How much does it rain in San Diego?
San Diego receives about 11.0 inches of precipitation per year on long-term average, with February typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in San Diego?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in San Diego is about 62.4°F. The warmest month is August and the coolest is January.
What are the average temperatures in San Diego by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in San Diego (°F, full record since 1940): January 62°/52°, February 62°/53°, March 63°/54°, April 65°/56°, May 66°/58°, June 69°/61°, July 73°/64°, August 74°/66°, September 74°/65°, October 71°/62°, November 67°/57°, December 63°/53°.
What is the weather like in San Diego in summer?
In summer, June through August, San Diego is dry and pleasantly warm. It warms from 69°F by day and 61°F at night in June to 74°F and 66°F in August. Hardly any rain falls.
What is the weather like in San Diego in winter?
In winter, December through February, San Diego is fairly mild. Afternoons run 62–63°F and nights 52–53°F; January is the coldest month. Rain falls on about 4 days a month, adding up to around 2.0 inches. No season is wetter.
What is the weather like in San Diego in spring?
Spring in San Diego (March to May) is mild. Expect 63–66°F by day and 54–58°F at night, with May the warmest month. Rain falls off from 1.9 inches on 5 days in March to 0.3 inches on 1 day in May.
What is the weather like in San Diego in autumn?
In autumn, September through November, San Diego is dry and mild. Daytime highs sit at 67–74°F and nights at 57–65°F; November is the coldest month. Rain picks up through the season, 0.2 inches in September to 1.1 inches in November.
How many days a year does it rain in San Diego?
On long-term average, San Diego has about 27 days a year with at least 0.08 inches of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 11.0 inches.

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