San Diego, California climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
San Diego's normal year runs from 50°F December nights to 77°F August afternoons, with 9.8 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 18.2°C, December lows of 10°C, August highs of 25°C, 249 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationSan Diego Lindbergh Field
- Station IDUSW00023188
- Location32.73°N 117.18°W
- Elevation15 ft (5 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population1,404,452
On October 14, the normal high in San Diego is 75°F and the normal low 62°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 7%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for San Diego.
- Jan 66° 50°
- Feb 66° 52°
- Mar 67° 55°
- Apr 69° 57°
- May 70° 60°
- Jun 72° 63°
- Jul 75° 66°
- Aug 77° 68°
- Sep 77° 66°
- Oct 75° 62°
- Nov 71° 55°
- Dec 66° 50°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in San Diego each month?
August is the warmest month, with normal highs of 77°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 50°F. The most precipitation falls in February (2.20 in), the least in August (0.01 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66°F | 50°F | 58.4°F | 1.98 | 7 | <1 | <1 | 10 h 10 min |
| February | 66°F | 52°F | 59.0°F | 2.20 | 7 | <1 | <1 | 11 h |
| March | 67°F | 55°F | 60.7°F | 1.46 | 6 | <1 | <1 | 12 h |
| April | 69°F | 57°F | 62.9°F | 0.65 | 4 | <1 | <1 | 13 h |
| May | 70°F | 60°F | 64.8°F | 0.28 | 2 | <1 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| June | 72°F | 63°F | 67.2°F | 0.05 | 1 | <1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| July | 75°F | 66°F | 70.7°F | 0.08 | 1 | <1 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| August | 77°F | 68°F | 72.4°F | 0.01 | <1 | <1 | <1 | 13 h 20 min |
| September | 77°F | 66°F | 71.7°F | 0.12 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 75°F | 62°F | 68.1°F | 0.50 | 2 | 1 | <1 | 11 h 30 min |
| November | 71°F | 55°F | 62.7°F | 0.79 | 4 | <1 | <1 | 10 h 30 min |
| December | 66°F | 50°F | 57.9°F | 1.67 | 6 | <1 | <1 | 10 h |
| Year (annual) | 71°F | 59°F | 64.7°F | 9.79 | 40 | 3 | <1 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19°C | 10°C | 14.7°C | 50 mm |
| February | 19°C | 11°C | 15.0°C | 56 mm |
| March | 19°C | 13°C | 15.9°C | 37 mm |
| April | 20°C | 14°C | 17.2°C | 17 mm |
| May | 21°C | 16°C | 18.2°C | 7 mm |
| June | 22°C | 17°C | 19.6°C | 1 mm |
| July | 24°C | 19°C | 21.5°C | 2 mm |
| August | 25°C | 20°C | 22.4°C | 0 mm |
| September | 25°C | 19°C | 22.1°C | 3 mm |
| October | 24°C | 16°C | 20.1°C | 13 mm |
| November | 22°C | 13°C | 17.1°C | 20 mm |
| December | 19°C | 10°C | 14.4°C | 42 mm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023188; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit San Diego?
Every month's normal high in San Diego falls between 65°F and 85°F.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023188.
What hardiness zone is each San Diego ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. San Diego's 41 ZIP code areas run from zone 9b to 11a: 5 in 10a, 33 in 10b, 2 in 11a and 1 in 9b. Each ZIP's frost dates are in the frost tool.
| ZIP code | Zone | Land in San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| 92014 | 10b | 8.1 km² |
| 92025 | 10a | 13.5 km² |
| 92027 | 9b | 21.3 km² |
| 92037 | 10b | 31.2 km² |
| 92071 | 10a | 9.9 km² |
| 92093 | 10b | 2.3 km² |
| 92101 | 11a | 13.9 km² |
| 92102 | 10b | 11.6 km² |
| 92103 | 10b | 9.5 km² |
| 92104 | 10b | 9.6 km² |
| 92105 | 10b | 14.9 km² |
| 92106 | 10b | 14.7 km² |
| 92107 | 10b | 7.8 km² |
| 92108 | 10b | 11.4 km² |
| 92109 | 10b | 19.7 km² |
| 92110 | 10b | 13.0 km² |
| 92111 | 10b | 22.0 km² |
| 92113 | 10b | 11.7 km² |
| 92114 | 10b | 21.5 km² |
| 92115 | 10b | 15.9 km² |
| 92116 | 10b | 8.8 km² |
| 92117 | 10b | 22.5 km² |
| 92119 | 10b | 16.9 km² |
| 92120 | 10b | 19.9 km² |
| 92121 | 10b | 32.5 km² |
| 92122 | 10b | 13.9 km² |
| 92123 | 10b | 22.3 km² |
| 92124 | 10b | 25.3 km² |
| 92126 | 10b | 30.0 km² |
| 92127 | 10a | 30.8 km² |
| 92128 | 10a | 30.3 km² |
| 92129 | 10a | 33.9 km² |
| 92130 | 10b | 48.1 km² |
| 92131 | 10b | 99.2 km² |
| 92136 | 10b | 1.7 km² |
| 92139 | 10b | 9.2 km² |
| 92140 | 11a | 1.4 km² |
| 92145 | 10b | 27.6 km² |
| 92154 | 10b | 67.9 km² |
| 92173 | 10b | 7.5 km² |
| 92182 | 10b | 0.5 km² |
Source: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; ZIP areas in the place: Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file. A ZIP area counts when at least a tenth of its land (and 0.5 km²) lies in the place.
How hot and how cold does it get in San Diego?
In a normal year in San Diego, 3 days a year reach 90°F, nights almost never fall to freezing and 40 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 3a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- fewer than 1high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 40a normal year
The highest temperature in San Diego's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1874) is 111°F, on September 26, 1963; the lowest is 25°F, on January 7, 1913.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1884, with 27.59 in.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00023188; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record SANthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is San Diego, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 61°F. The muggiest month is August, with an average dew point of 63°F; the driest air comes in December (43°F). April is the windiest month (7.1 mph on average), and November has the most clear or nearly clear hours (51%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45°F | 62% | 51% | 5.1 mph | 45% | 19% |
| February | 46°F | 64% | 53% | 6.2 mph | 35% | 23% |
| March | 49°F | 65% | 56% | 6.8 mph | 35% | 26% |
| April | 52°F | 67% | 58% | 7.1 mph | 38% | 28% |
| May | 55°F | 72% | 64% | 7.1 mph | 35% | 30% |
| June | 59°F | 74% | 65% | 6.8 mph | 45% | 22% |
| July | 62°F | 76% | 66% | 6.7 mph | 38% | 19% |
| August | 63°F | 74% | 62% | 6.5 mph | 49% | 17% |
| September | 59°F | 70% | 60% | 5.8 mph | 47% | 25% |
| October | 51°F | 63% | 53% | 4.9 mph | 50% | 16% |
| November | 45°F | 60% | 52% | 4.6 mph | 51% | 15% |
| December | 43°F | 60% | 48% | 4.6 mph | 45% | 19% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00023188. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is San Diego?
Over a year 79% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around San Diego, 4.9 kWh per square metre a day. November is the sunniest month (83%) and June the cloudiest (69%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 176th (with 33 others) in sunshine.
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 83% | 3.3 |
| February | 82% | 4.1 |
| March | 81% | 5.2 |
| April | 81% | 6.1 |
| May | 74% | 6.1 |
| June | 69% | 5.9 |
| July | 75% | 6.1 |
| August | 80% | 6.1 |
| September | 82% | 5.3 |
| October | 81% | 4.3 |
| November | 83% | 3.4 |
| December | 82% | 2.9 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does San Diego need?
A normal year in San Diego brings 990 heating degree days, 82% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 893 cooling degree days, 2% fewer than the median (908). No month reaches 300 heating degree days. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 5,379 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 209 | 3 |
| February | 173 | 5 |
| March | 142 | 10 |
| April | 85 | 23 |
| May | 45 | 37 |
| June | 10 | 75 |
| July | 1 | 177 |
| August | 0 | 230 |
| September | 0 | 201 |
| October | 11 | 106 |
| November | 93 | 26 |
| December | 221 | 1 |
| Year (annual) | 990 | 893 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023188. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has San Diego been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 64.0°F, 0.7°F below the 1991-2020 normal of 64.7°F. 1 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 64.9°F | +0.2°F | 7.85 |
| 2022 | 64.0°F | −0.7°F | 5.90 |
| 2023 | 63.1°F | −1.6°F | 14.43 |
| 2024 | 64.0°F | −0.8°F | 11.16 |
| 2025 | 64.0°F | −0.7°F | 9.65 |
Over 146 complete years from 1865 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 3.1°F per century (+0.17°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00023188; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does San Diego's climate compare?
San Diego is warmer than 173 of the other 218 places with their own NOAA record in California, and wetter than 41. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 64.7°F is warmer than 87%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, San Diego is BSh: hot semi-arid steppe. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
What do San Diego's other NOAA stations record?
4 more NOAA stations keep 1991-2020 normals in or near San Diego. This page uses San Diego Lindbergh Field; the others differ by site and elevation, and the linked ones have pages of their own:
| Station | From the center | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Miramar Naval Air Station USW00093107 | 4 mi N | 477 ft | 64.2°F | 47°F | 80°F | 11.5 | – | – |
| San Diego Montgomery Field USW00003131 | in town | 417 ft | 64.1°F | 46°F | 80°F | 11.0 | – | – |
| San Diego Seaworld USC00047741 | 7 mi SW | 14 ft | 61.7°F | 47°F | 72°F | 10.4 | – | – |
| San Diego Brown Field USW00003178 | 19 mi SE | 515 ft | 62.6°F | 44°F | 78°F | 10.2 | – | January 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about San Diego's climate
What is the coldest month in San Diego?
December, with a normal high of 66°F and a normal low of 50°F. The warmest is August (77°F by day, 68°F at night).
What is the rainiest month in San Diego?
February, with 2.20 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is August with 0.01 in.
What plant hardiness zone is San Diego in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts San Diego in zones 9b to 11a across its 41 ZIP code areas (10b in 92131, the largest). By the same method at San Diego's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches 41°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 11a.
Nearby and next
- San Diego in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- California climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- North Island Naval Air Station, CA2 miles from this station, 63.9°F a year
- San Diego Seaworld, CA4 miles from this station, 61.7°F a year
- San Diego Montgomery Field, CA6 miles from this station, 64.1°F a year
- Chula Vista, CA9 miles from this station, 63.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made