Salinas weather in September

In September, Salinas sees average daytime highs of 70°F and overnight lows near 55°F, with 0.1 in of rain across 0.4 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 70°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 84% 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 Salinas's 1st-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Salinas's year-round climate.

Daytime high
70°
1st warmest
Overnight low
55°
11th coldest
Rainfall
0.1 in
0.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
5:54 AM – 6:08 PM
Cloud cover
21%
1st clearest
Wind
4 mph
10th windiest
Solar energy
5.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.7
out of 10

Salinas is city in California and the county seat of Monterey County, United States.

Density
2,569/km²
people per km²
Founded
1874

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 70°F through the month.

A typical September day in Salinas reaches about 70°F in the afternoon and slips back to 55°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 64°F and 77°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs on par with August and about 2°F warmer than October.

50°60°70°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17056
27056
37056
47056
57056
67056
77056
87056
97056
107056
117056
127055
137055
147055
157055
167055
177055
187055
197055
207055
217055
227055
237055
247055
257055
267055
277055
287055
297055
307055

Salinas weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 1st-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan58° / 45°3.78.49.84.5
Feb59° / 46°3.78.910.64.6
Mar60° / 47°2.98.311.75.1
Apr61° / 48°1.35.112.95.9
May63° / 50°0.62.913.96.9
Jun66° / 53°0.10.414.58.1
Jul69° / 55°0.00.214.38.5
Aug70° / 56°0.10.313.48.7
Sep70° / 55°0.10.412.28.7
Oct68° / 53°0.72.211.18.0
Nov62° / 48°1.65.2106.2
Dec58° / 45°3.37.99.54.6

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 84% of the time in September, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 9%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1946
2946
3946
4946
5946
6946
7946
8946
9946
10946
11937
12937
13937
14928
15928
16919
17919
18919
19919
209010
218911
228911
238911
248812
258812
268812
278812
288713
298713
308614

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Salinas gets around 0.1 in of rain over 0.4 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 2% and peaks near 3% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
11
21
31
41
51
61
71
81
91
101
111
121
132
142
152
162
172
182
192
202
212
222
232
242
253
263
273
283
293
303

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 (%)
145505
246495
347485
448475
549465
650455
751445
852435
954424
1054424
1154424
1255423
1355423
1454433
1555432
1654442
1754442
1854451
1954451
2054451
2154451
2254451
2355450
2456440
2557430
2658420
2760400
2861390
2963370
3065350

Wind in September

Winds average 4 mph in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 4 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm

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 5:42 AM to 6:06 AM, and sunset from 6:31 PM to 5:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:426:31
212.85:436:29
312.75:436:28
412.75:446:26
512.75:456:25
612.65:466:23
712.65:476:22
812.55:476:20
912.55:486:19
1012.55:496:17
1112.45:506:16
1212.45:516:14
1312.35:526:13
1412.35:526:11
1512.35:536:09
1612.25:546:08
1712.25:556:06
1812.25:566:05
1912.15:576:03
2012.15:576:02
2112.05:586:00
2212.05:595:58
2311.96:005:57
2411.96:015:55
2511.96:025:54
2611.86:025:52
2711.86:035:51
2811.76:045:49
2911.76:055:48
3011.76:065:46

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 5.91 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.45 kWh/m² to a high of 7.85 kWh/m² in June across the year — September's 5.91 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.5Intense
26.5Intense
36.5Intense
46.4Intense
56.4Intense
66.3Intense
76.3Intense
86.3Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.0Intense
146.0Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.6Bright
235.6Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.3Bright
295.3Bright
305.2Bright
Planning a trip in September

Is September a good time to visit Salinas?

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

8.7
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.3
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

September is one of the better times to visit Salinas for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Salinas in September

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

In September, Salinas sees daytime highs around 70°F and nights near 55°F. Worth packing: sun protection.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Salinas 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 at the nearest coast (about 12 mi away) 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 Salinas in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Salinas peaks around June 22 at about 11 (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 22UV 11Dec 13UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep7High
Oct5High
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Salinas 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 Salinas is worst in August — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (June, 5 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1920 µg/m³Jun 135 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar8Good
Apr7Good
May6Good
Jun5Good
Jul8Good
Aug22Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct12Moderate
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Salinas?

Salinas sits at 36.7°N, 121.7°W, 52 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Prunedale, 6.8 mi away.

Topography around Salinas

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Salinas has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 72 ft around an average of 52 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,383 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,883 ft.

The land around Salinas is covered by artificial surfaces (65%) and cropland (24%) within 2 miles, cropland (32%), trees (27%) and grassland (26%) within 10 miles, and grassland (36%), trees (27%) and water (26%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
72 ft
10 miles
3,383 ft
50 miles
5,883 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
September weather nearby: Prunedale 6.8 mi · Marina 8.1 mi · Seaside 12 mi · Monterey 14 mi · Pacific Grove 15 mi · Watsonville 17 mi · Hollister 19 mi · Gilroy 23 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 Salinas (36.6777°, -121.6555°, elevation 52 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).