Big Sur weather in November

In November, Big Sur sees average daytime highs of 59°F and overnight lows near 49°F, with 2.2 in of rain across 6.1 wet days and about 10.1 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 61°F in the first days to 57°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in November, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 30 min at the start of November to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, November is Big Sur's 7th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Big Sur's year-round climate.

Daytime high
59°
7th warmest
Overnight low
49°
6th coldest
Rainfall
2.2 in
6.1 wet days
Daylight
10 hours
6:51 AM – 4:54 PM
Cloud cover
42%
7th clearest
Wind
8 mph
11th windiest
Solar energy
3.21 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.3
out of 10

Big Sur is region in Monterey County, California, United States.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in November

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 61°F in the first days to 57°F by the end.

A typical November day in Big Sur reaches about 59°F in the afternoon and slips back to 49°F overnight — a 10°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 66°F. Set against its neighbours, November runs about 5°F cooler than October and about 4°F warmer than December.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16251
26250
36150
46150
56150
66150
76150
86049
96049
106049
116049
126049
136049
145949
155949
165949
175949
185948
195948
205848
215848
225848
235848
245848
255847
265747
275747
285747
295747
305747

Big Sur weather by month

How November compares with the rest of the year at a glance. November is the 7th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan55° / 46°5.19.39.83.7
Feb55° / 46°4.89.310.63.6
Mar56° / 46°3.48.311.74.1
Apr57° / 47°1.75.712.94.7
May59° / 49°0.72.613.95.8
Jun63° / 51°0.10.414.47.4
Jul66° / 54°0.00.114.28.3
Aug67° / 55°0.10.313.48.5
Sep67° / 55°0.10.612.28.4
Oct65° / 53°0.92.411.17.6
Nov59° / 49°2.26.110.15.3
Dec55° / 46°4.59.29.63.8

Cloud cover in November

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in November.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of November, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 34%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17525
27525
37327
47228
57228
67129
77129
87030
96931
106832
116733
126733
136634
146634
156535
166535
176535
186535
196436
206436
216337
226238
236238
246139
256040
266040
275941
285842
295743
305743

Chance of precipitation in November

Any precipitation

Big Sur gets around 2.2 in of rain over 6.1 wet days in November. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 20% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
115
216
317
417
518
618
719
819
919
1019
1120
1220
1320
1420
1520
1620
1719
1819
1920
2020
2120
2221
2322
2422
2523
2624
2724
2825
2926
3027

Humidity in November

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of November feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, November lands in the dry band about 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1982
2982
3982
4991
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30982

Wind in November

Winds average 8 mph in November.

Across November, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97light breeze
107light breeze
117light breeze
127light breeze
137light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in November

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 30 min at the start of November to 9 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 48 minutes over November. Sunrise moves from 6:36 AM to 7:05 AM, and sunset from 5:06 PM to 4:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.56:365:06
210.56:375:05
310.46:385:04
410.46:395:03
510.46:405:02
610.36:415:01
710.36:425:00
810.36:434:59
910.26:444:58
1010.26:454:58
1110.26:464:57
1210.16:474:56
1310.16:484:56
1410.16:494:55
1510.16:504:54
1610.06:514:54
1710.06:524:53
1810.06:534:53
1910.06:544:52
209.96:554:52
219.96:564:51
229.96:574:51
239.96:584:50
249.86:594:50
259.87:004:50
269.87:014:49
279.87:024:49
289.87:034:49
299.77:044:49
309.77:054:48

Solar energy in November

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in November, about 3.21 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.59 kWh/m² to a high of 8.18 kWh/m² in June across the year — November's 3.21 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.7Moderate
43.7Moderate
53.6Moderate
63.6Moderate
73.5Moderate
83.5Moderate
93.5Moderate
103.4Moderate
113.4Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.2Moderate
163.2Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.0Moderate
223.0Moderate
232.9Moderate
242.9Moderate
252.9Moderate
262.8Moderate
272.8Moderate
282.8Moderate
292.8Moderate
302.7Moderate
Planning a trip in November

Hazard calendar for Big Sur

In seasonPeak

None of Big Sur's seasonal hazards are active in November. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Big Sur's rainy season runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is November a good time to visit Big Sur?

Our two travel scores rate November for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.3
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
0.4
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

November is a reasonable time to visit Big Sur for sightseeing.

What to pack for Big Sur in November

From November's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In November, Big Sur sees daytime highs around 59°F and nights near 49°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layer

Sea temperature near Big Sur in November

The nearest coast averages about 57°F in November — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 8 mi away) is warmest in September at about 59°F and coldest in April near 54°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

52°54°56°58°60°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan55Bracing
Feb55Bracing
Mar55Bracing
Apr54Bracing
May54Bracing
Jun55Bracing
Jul57Bracing
Aug58Bracing
Sep59Bracing
Oct58Bracing
Nov57Bracing
Dec56Bracing

UV index in Big Sur in November

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in November peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Big Sur peaks around June 22 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 12 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 11Dec 12UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep7High
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Big Sur in November

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where November falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Big Sur is worst in September — around 27 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 7.0× the cleanest month (December, 4 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1027 µg/m³Dec 174 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan4Good
Feb5Good
Mar5Good
Apr5Good
May5Good
Jun5Good
Jul16Moderate
Aug25Moderate
Sep27Moderate
Oct6Good
Nov4Good
Dec4Good
Location & terrain

Where is Big Sur?

Big Sur sits at 36.3°N, 121.8°W, 0 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Monterey, 24 mi away.

Topography around Big Sur

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Big Sur.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Big Sur has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,455 ft around an average of 1,145 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,918 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,758 ft.

The land around Big Sur is covered by trees (77%) within 2 miles, water (45%) and trees (43%) within 10 miles, and water (40%), grassland (27%) and trees (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
3,455 ft
10 miles
4,918 ft
50 miles
5,758 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
November weather nearby: Monterey 24 mi · Seaside 24 mi · Pacific Grove 25 mi · Marina 29 mi · Soledad 29 mi · Salinas 29 mi · Greenfield 32 mi · Prunedale 36 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Big Sur (36.2702°, -121.8075°, elevation 0 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).