Santa Barbara, CA weather in January
Santa Barbara is mild in January, with some rain: highs average 67°F and nights drop to about 47°F. There are about 7 days with rain. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 67°F
- Normal low
- 47°F
- Wet days
- 7
- 4.4 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How January changes from start to finish
| January 1 | January 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 66°F | 67°F |
| Normal low | 46°F | 47°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 22% | 22% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:05 am / 4:59 pm | 6:57 am / 5:27 pm |
| Daylight | 9.9 h | 10.5 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Pacific Time).
A typical January day
- 6 am45°Fdew point 40°F
- 9 am54°Fdew point 44°F
- Noon62°Fdew point 45°F
- 3 pm63°Fdew point 44°F
- 6 pm56°Fdew point 46°F
- 9 pm51°Fdew point 43°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Santa Barbara Muni Airport (8 mi away); average wind 4 mph; clear or few clouds in 59% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 31%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F14 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph1 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow7 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in5 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per January, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in January
Normal precipitation is 4.4 in; a dry January brings about 1.3 in and a wet one about 6.9 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 days bring half an inch or more, and about 2 an inch or more.
How January varies from year to year
- Warmest January, 1991-20202011: average high 75°F
- Coolest January2017: average high 62°F
- Wettest January1995: 24.2 in
- Driest January2003: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading89°F (January 31, 2003)
- Lowest reading22°F (January 13, 2007)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
January compared with December and February
| December | January | February | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 66°F | 67°F | 67°F |
| Normal low | 46°F | 47°F | 47°F |
| Wet days | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Comfortable days | 15 | 14 | 13 |
| Daylight | 9.9 h | 10.2 h | 11.0 h |
Highs change by +1°F from December and 0°F into February.
Nearby alternatives in January
- Drier: Palm Springs, CA185 mi · high 71°F · 3 wet days
- Cooler: Bakersfield, CA76 mi · high 59°F · 6 wet days
How Santa Barbara ranks in January
- Normal high57th warmest of 378 cities; 21st of 60 in California
- Wet days89th driest of 378
- Comfortable days39th most of 339
Heating and cooling
January has 262 heating degree days and 3 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 13% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Santa Barbara in January?
The normal high is 67°F and the normal low is 47°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest January reading was 22°F (January 13, 2007).
Does it rain a lot in Santa Barbara in January?
About 7 days in January have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 4.4 in. The wettest January in 1991-2020 was in 1995 (24.2 in); the driest was in 2003, with no measurable precipitation.
Is January a good time to visit Santa Barbara?
January ranks 12th of 12 months on our comfort score for Santa Barbara (62 out of 100). It has about 14 comfortable days. The best month is June.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Santa Barbara (USC00047902), 0.8 mi ESE of the city center, 16 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Santa Barbara Muni Airport (USW00023190), 8.2 mi W of the city center, 9 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (723925-23190), 8.2 mi W of the city center, 8 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.