Santa Barbara weather in May: Santa Barbara, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Santa Barbara in May has a normal high of 69°F and a normal low of 51°F, a daily mean of 60°F, holding near 69°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 2 days in a normal May, 0.42 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 11°C, 11 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationSanta Barbara Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00023190
- Location34.43°N 119.84°W
- Elevation9 ft (3 m)
- From the center8 miles
- Population87,291
- Jan 64° 41°
- Feb 64° 44°
- Mar 66° 46°
- Apr 68° 48°
- May 69° 51°
- Jun 70° 55°
- Jul 73° 58°
- Aug 75° 58°
- Sep 74° 56°
- Oct 73° 51°
- Nov 69° 44°
- Dec 64° 40°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Santa Barbara in May?
The normal high is 69°F and the normal low 51°F, for a daily mean of 60.3°F. May is 2.3°F warmer than April and 2.1°F cooler than June. May is the 6th warmest month of the year in Santa Barbara and the 8th wettest. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 1.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 58°F and 62°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 8%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 69°F | 50°F | 8% | 4% |
| May 8 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% |
| May 15 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% |
| May 22 | 69°F | 52°F | 6% | 2% |
| May 31 | 69°F | 53°F | 5% | 2% |
Every day of May: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon May 28, coldest night May 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 69°F | 50°F | 8% | 4% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 2 | 69°F | 50°F | 8% | 4% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 3 | 69°F | 50°F | 8% | 4% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 4 | 69°F | 50°F | 8% | 4% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 5 | 69°F | 50°F | 8% | 3% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 6 | 69°F | 50°F | 8% | 3% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 7 | 69°F | 51°F | 8% | 3% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 8 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 9 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 13 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 14 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 15 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 16 | 69°F | 51°F | 7% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 17 | 69°F | 52°F | 7% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 18 | 69°F | 52°F | 7% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 19 | 69°F | 52°F | 7% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 20 | 69°F | 52°F | 6% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 21 | 69°F | 52°F | 6% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 22 | 69°F | 52°F | 6% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 23 | 69°F | 52°F | 6% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 24 | 69°F | 52°F | 6% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 25 | 69°F | 52°F | 6% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 69°F | 52°F | 6% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 27 | 69°F | 52°F | 5% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 28 | 69°F | 52°F | 5% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 29 | 69°F | 52°F | 5% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 30 | 69°F | 53°F | 5% | 2% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 31 | 69°F | 53°F | 5% | 2% | 14 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 69°FMay average
- Normal low
- 51°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 0.42 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 20.01 inch or more
- Daylight
- 13 h 30 min to 14 h 20 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 13
- Days at 80°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 88%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00023190; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Santa Barbara in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 7% on average, highest around May 1 (8%). In all, 0.42 in falls on 2 days of a normal May.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00023190.
How humid and windy is Santa Barbara in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 67°F with 63% relative humidity and a dew point of 54°F; at 6 a.m. it is 57°F with 86% humidity. The wind averages 6.3 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 57°F | 53°F | 86% | 3.0 mph | 46% |
| 9 a.m. | 63°F | 54°F | 74% | 7.3 mph | 43% |
| noon | 66°F | 54°F | 65% | 8.8 mph | 49% |
| 3 p.m. | 67°F | 54°F | 63% | 10.3 mph | 61% |
| 6 p.m. | 63°F | 53°F | 70% | 8.1 mph | 74% |
| 9 p.m. | 59°F | 53°F | 80% | 5.1 mph | 78% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00023190. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for May in Santa Barbara?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1941) is 101°F, on May 26, 1968; the coldest is 38°F, on May 2, 1991. The wettest May brought 3.92 in (1998).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 60.3°F: 2021 59.6°F (−0.7), 2022 60.9°F (+0.6), 2023 60.2°F (−0.1), 2024 57.9°F (−2.4), 2025 60.8°F (+0.5), 2026 60.0°F (−0.3). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59.6°F | −0.7°F | 0.03 in |
| 2022 | 60.9°F | +0.6°F | 0.03 in |
| 2023 | 60.2°F | −0.1°F | 0.59 in |
| 2024 | 57.9°F | −2.4°F | 0.09 in |
| 2025 | 60.8°F | +0.5°F | 0.00 in |
| 2026 | 60.0°F | −0.3°F | 0.00 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00023190; recent months: ACIS, station USW00023190. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Santa Barbara compare across California?
Across the 219 places PlainClimate covers in California, May normal highs run from 58°F in Tahoma to 96°F in Needles; Santa Barbara's is 69°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.