Monterey in Summer
In summer (June, July and August), Monterey sees average daytime highs around 57°F and overnight lows near 55°F, with 0.3 in of rain over about 2 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the driest season of the year.
Over the season highs climb from about 55°F in early June to 59°F by late August. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels dry.
Summer is Monterey's 2nd-best season to visit on our travel score. Monterey has little temperature swing across the year, so its calendar seasons blur — the season framing matters less here than for a place with four distinct seasons. For the whole year in context, see Monterey's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 57°F
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 55°F
- Rainfall
- 0.3 in
- 2 wet days
- Avg wind
- 8 mph
- Travel score
- 5.2
- 2nd-best season
- Months
- Jun · Jul · Aug
Temperature in Monterey in Summer
Over the season highs climb from about 55°F in early June to 59°F by late August.
A typical summer day in Monterey reaches about 57°F and drops to 55°F overnight. The warmest of the three months is August, the coolest June.
Monterey weather by month
How the three summer months (June, July and August) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55° / 51° | 4.5 | 10 | 9.8 | 3.6 |
| Feb | 54° / 51° | 4.5 | 9.9 | 10.6 | 3.3 |
| Mar | 54° / 51° | 3.3 | 9.2 | 11.7 | 3.4 |
| Apr | 54° / 51° | 1.5 | 5.8 | 12.9 | 3.6 |
| May | 54° / 52° | 0.6 | 3.3 | 13.9 | 4.0 |
| Jun | 55° / 53° | 0.2 | 1.3 | 14.5 | 4.6 |
| Jul | 57° / 55° | 0.0 | 0.1 | 14.2 | 5.2 |
| Aug | 59° / 56° | 0.1 | 0.3 | 13.4 | 5.8 |
| Sep | 60° / 57° | 0.1 | 0.7 | 12.2 | 6.2 |
| Oct | 60° / 56° | 0.9 | 2.7 | 11.1 | 6.0 |
| Nov | 57° / 54° | 2.1 | 5.8 | 10 | 4.7 |
| Dec | 55° / 52° | 4.0 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 3.7 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Monterey gets around 0.3 in of rain over 2 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 8 mph across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 14 h 18 min in early June to 12 h 54 min by late August. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 7.4 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Monterey
None of Monterey's seasonal hazards peak in summer. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Monterey's rainy season runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is summer a good time to visit Monterey?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer is a reasonable time to visit Monterey for sightseeing.
What to pack for Monterey in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Monterey sees daytime highs around 57°F and nights near 55°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer.
Sea temperature near Monterey in Summer
The nearest coast averages about 56°F across summer — 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°F) | 55 | 55 | 55 | 54 | 54 | 55 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 55 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°F) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | Bracing |
| Feb | 55 | Bracing |
| Mar | 55 | Bracing |
| Apr | 54 | Bracing |
| May | 54 | Bracing |
| Jun | 55 | Bracing |
| Jul | 57 | Bracing |
| Aug | 58 | Bracing |
| Sep | 58 | Bracing |
| Oct | 58 | Bracing |
| Nov | 57 | Bracing |
| Dec | 55 | Bracing |
UV index in Monterey in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4 | Moderate |
| Mar | 5 | Moderate |
| Apr | 7 | High |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 10 | Extreme |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 5 | High |
| Nov | 2 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Moderate |
Air quality in Monterey in Summer
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer 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).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 8 | Good |
| Apr | 7 | Good |
| May | 7 | Good |
| Jun | 6 | Good |
| Jul | 6 | Good |
| Aug | 17 | Moderate |
| Sep | 11 | Good |
| Oct | 10 | Good |
| Nov | 9 | Good |
| Dec | 6 | Good |
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.
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
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.