Monterey weather in September

In September, Monterey sees average daytime highs of 60°F and overnight lows near 57°F, with 0.1 in of rain across 0.7 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 60°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of September to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Monterey's 1st-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Monterey's year-round climate.

Daytime high
60°
1st warmest
Overnight low
57°
12th coldest
Rainfall
0.1 in
0.7 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
5:55 AM – 6:09 PM
Cloud cover
28%
1st clearest
Wind
7 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.88 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Monterey is city in Monterey County, California, United States.

Density
893/km²
people per km²
Founded
1770

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

Temperature in September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 60°F through the month.

A typical September day in Monterey reaches about 60°F in the afternoon and slips back to 57°F overnight — a 3°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 57°F and 64°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs on par with August and on par with October.

50°55°60°65°70°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15957
25957
36057
46057
56057
66057
76057
86057
96057
106057
116057
126057
136057
146057
156057
166057
176057
186057
196057
206057
216057
226057
236057
246057
256057
266057
276057
286057
296057
306057

Monterey weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 1st-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan55° / 51°4.5109.83.6
Feb54° / 51°4.59.910.63.3
Mar54° / 51°3.39.211.73.4
Apr54° / 51°1.55.812.93.6
May54° / 52°0.63.313.94.0
Jun55° / 53°0.21.314.54.6
Jul57° / 55°0.00.114.25.2
Aug59° / 56°0.10.313.45.8
Sep60° / 57°0.10.712.26.2
Oct60° / 56°0.92.711.16.0
Nov57° / 54°2.15.8104.7
Dec55° / 52°4.09.69.53.7

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in September, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 14%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18515
28614
38614
48614
58614
68614
78614
88614
98614
108713
118713
128614
138614
148614
158713
168713
178713
188713
198713
208614
218614
228614
238614
248614
258515
268416
278416
288416
298416
308416

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Monterey gets around 0.1 in of rain over 0.7 wet days in September. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 3% and peaks near 4% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
11
21
31
41
51
62
72
82
92
102
112
122
133
143
153
163
173
183
193
203
213
223
233
243
253
263
273
284
294
304

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the dry band about 54% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
151463
251463
351463
453452
553452
653452
753452
853452
953452
1052462
1153461
1253461
1353461
1452471
1552471
1652471
1752471
1852471
1952471
2052471
2152471
2254460
2354460
2455450
2556440
2657430
2758420
2859410
2960400
3061390

Wind in September

Winds average 7 mph in September, the calmest month.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 7 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
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of September to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 66 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 5:43 AM to 6:07 AM, and sunset from 6:32 PM to 5:47 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:436:32
212.85:446:30
312.75:446:29
412.75:456:27
512.75:466:26
612.65:476:24
712.65:486:23
812.55:486:21
912.55:496:20
1012.55:506:18
1112.45:516:17
1212.45:526:15
1312.35:536:13
1412.35:536:12
1512.35:546:10
1612.25:556:09
1712.25:566:07
1812.15:576:06
1912.15:576:04
2012.15:586:03
2112.05:596:01
2212.06:005:59
2312.06:015:58
2411.96:025:56
2511.96:025:55
2611.86:035:53
2711.86:045:52
2811.86:055:50
2911.76:065:49
3011.76:075:47

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 5.88 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.49 kWh/m² to a high of 7.79 kWh/m² in June across the year — September's 5.88 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.5Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.4Intense
56.3Intense
66.3Intense
76.2Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.0Intense
136.0Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.3Bright
295.3Bright
305.2Bright
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Monterey

In seasonPeak

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

Monterey's rainy season runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is September a good time to visit Monterey?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

September is a reasonable time to visit Monterey for sightseeing.

What to pack for Monterey in September

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

In September, Monterey sees daytime highs around 60°F and nights near 57°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and sun protection.

a warm layersun protection

Sea temperature near Monterey in September

The nearest coast averages about 58°F in September — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in September at about 58°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
Sep58Bracing
Oct58Bracing
Nov57Bracing
Dec55Bracing

UV index in Monterey in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Monterey peaks around June 23 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 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 23UV 10Dec 13UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep6High
Oct5High
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Monterey in September

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Monterey is worst in August — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.9× the cleanest month (June, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1816 µg/m³Jun 186 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar8Good
Apr7Good
May7Good
Jun6Good
Jul6Good
Aug17Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct10Good
Nov9Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Monterey?

Monterey sits at 36.6°N, 121.9°W, 26 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Pacific Grove, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Monterey

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Monterey has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 843 ft around an average of 197 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,805 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,883 ft.

The land around Monterey is covered by trees (37%), artificial surfaces (31%) and water (27%) within 2 miles, water (51%) and trees (28%) within 10 miles, and water (35%), trees (29%) and grassland (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
843 ft
10 miles
2,805 ft
50 miles
5,883 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
September weather nearby: Pacific Grove 1.9 mi · Seaside 2.5 mi · Marina 7.5 mi · Salinas 14 mi · Prunedale 17 mi · Watsonville 23 mi · Big Sur 24 mi · Santa Cruz 27 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 Monterey (36.6002°, -121.8947°, elevation 26 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).