Santa Maria, CA weather in January
Expect cool weather with some rain in Santa Maria in January, with highs near 65°F and lows near 41°F. Rain falls on about 8 days. Good for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 65°F
- Normal low
- 41°F
- Wet days
- 8
- 2.7 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How January changes from start to finish
| January 1 | January 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 64°F | 65°F |
| Normal low | 40°F | 42°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 25% | 26% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:09 am / 5:00 pm | 7:01 am / 5:29 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 am44°Fdew point 39°F
- 9 am51°Fdew point 42°F
- Noon62°Fdew point 42°F
- 3 pm62°Fdew point 44°F
- 6 pm54°Fdew point 45°F
- 9 pm50°Fdew point 43°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Santa Maria Public Airport (4 mi away); average wind 6 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°F13 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 snow8 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in5 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below3 of 31
Average days per January, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in January
Normal precipitation is 2.7 in; a dry January brings about 0.8 in and a wet one about 3.9 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 2 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more. Snow is very rare.
How January varies from year to year
- Warmest January, 1991-20202014: average high 74°F
- Coolest January2002: average high 61°F
- Wettest January1995: 11.8 in
- Driest January2014: 0.01 in
- Highest reading89°F (January 16, 2014)
- Lowest reading23°F (January 14, 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 | 64°F | 65°F | 65°F |
| Normal low | 40°F | 41°F | 43°F |
| Wet days | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 13 | 13 | 11 |
| Daylight | 9.8 h | 10.1 h | 10.9 h |
Highs change by +1°F from December and 0°F into February.
Nearby alternatives in January
- Warmer: Santa Clarita, CA114 mi · high 70°F · 6 wet days
- Drier: Victorville, CA181 mi · high 58°F · 5 wet days
- Cooler: Bakersfield, CA85 mi · high 59°F · 6 wet days
How Santa Maria ranks in January
- Normal high70th warmest of 378 cities; 28th of 60 in California
- Wet days132nd driest of 378
- Comfortable days53rd most of 339
Heating and cooling
January has 377 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 14% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Santa Maria in January?
The normal high is 65°F and the normal low is 41°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest January reading was 23°F (January 14, 2007).
Does it rain a lot in Santa Maria in January?
About 8 days in January have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.7 in. The wettest January in 1991-2020 was in 1995 (11.8 in); the driest was in 2014 (0.01 in).
Is January a good time to visit Santa Maria?
January ranks 11th of 12 months on our comfort score for Santa Maria (60 out of 100). It has about 13 comfortable days. The best months are June, July and August.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Santa Maria Public Airport (USW00023273), 3.8 mi S of the city center, 242 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Lompoc (USC00045064), 21 mi S of the city center, 75 ft (143 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Santa Barbara Muni Airport (USW00023190), 50 mi SE of the city center, 9 ft (209 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Santa Maria Pub/Capt G A Hancock Airport (723940-23273), 4.2 mi SSW of the city center, 243 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.