Climate Comfort Score
80/100
Excellent
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 58°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Salinas, CA Climate
Average temperature, precipitation, and a comfort score, drawn from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →
- 58°F
- Avg annual temp
- 80/100
- Comfort score
- 15.4"
- Annual precip
- 305d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Salinas
Salinas, California averages 58°F a year and scores 80/100 on the comfort index - excellent, milder than 82% of U.S. cities.
- 58°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 80/100
- comfort score, milder than 82% of U.S. cities
- 15.4"
- precipitation, annual total
- 305 days
- frost-free growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
58°F (14°C)
Avg High
69°F
Avg Low
47°F
Annual Precip
15.4"
Annual Snow
0.0"
Comfort Score
80/100
Excellent
Avg Annual Temperature
58°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
15.4"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Salinas) 80.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Excellent for the Salinas area.
How Salinas compares to every U.S. city
Salinas's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
80 Top 18% higher than 82% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Salinas
MethodologyZooming out from Salinas's own normal, the chart below shows how the U.S. land temperature anomaly has tracked the global mean since 1900 - the most recent decade sits warmer than the 30-year mean shown here.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63°F (17°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 3.3" | 0.0" | 2.1 | 0.0 |
| February | 64°F (18°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 3.0" | 0.0" | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| March | 66°F (19°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 2.5" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 67°F (20°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 1.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| May | 68°F (20°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 0.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| June | 70°F (21°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| July | 71°F (22°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| August | 73°F (23°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| September | 75°F (24°C) | 53°F (11°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 1.5 |
| October | 74°F (23°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 62°F (16°C) | 0.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| November | 68°F (20°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 1.6" | 0.0" | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| December | 62°F (17°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 2.8" | 0.0" | 3.6 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 3.3"
9.4 days with precipitation
February 3.0"
9.8 days with precipitation
March 2.5"
8.2 days with precipitation
April 1.1"
5.7 days with precipitation
May 0.5"
3.0 days with precipitation
June 0.1"
1.0 days with precipitation
July 0.0"
0.5 days with precipitation
August 0.0"
1.0 days with precipitation
September 0.1"
0.9 days with precipitation
October 0.6"
2.9 days with precipitation
November 1.6"
6.1 days with precipitation
December 2.8"
9.5 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
December 6
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
February 4
50% probability date
Growing Season
305 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
2,724
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
105
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
September
Coldest Month
December
What Salinas's climate means for you
Salinas runs 58°F a year - peaking in September, coldest in December.
- Gardeners get about 305 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near February 4 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 2,724 heating and 105 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Salinas, CA
In Salinas, California, the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals put the annual average temperature at 58°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 69°F to a mean daily low of 47°F. September is typically the warmest month of the year, while December is the coldest. As thirty-year averages computed from station USC00047668, these numbers smooth out year-to-year noise into a working baseline for a typical month.
Precipitation patterns matter as much as temperature for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. Salinas receives roughly 15.4 inches of precipitation each year, with negligible snowfall. The frost-free season averages 305 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near February 4 and the first fall freeze near December 6. For energy use, 2,724 heating degree days and 105 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Salinas scores 80/100 (Excellent), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Use the monthly tables above to plan around specific windows, shoulder seasons for mild highs and lows, peak summer for September-driven heat, or deep winter for December-driven cold. All figures here are thirty-year averages: any single year may run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal, so treat them as planning guidance rather than forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Salinas, CA? ▼
The average annual temperature in Salinas, California is 58°F. The warmest month averages 75°F (24°C) and the coldest averages 40°F (5°C).
How much rain does Salinas get? ▼
Salinas receives 15.4 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Salinas? ▼
Salinas has a climate comfort score of 80/100 (Excellent), milder than 82% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Salinas? ▼
Salinas has approximately 305 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around February 4 and the first fall freeze around December 6.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Salinas? ▼
Salinas has 2,724 heating degree days and 105 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Salinas climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00047668 near Salinas.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00047668. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.