Santa Barbara weather in October

In October, Santa Barbara sees average daytime highs of 72°F and overnight lows near 56°F, with 0.7 in of rain across 1.9 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 74°F in the first days to 69°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 79% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Santa Barbara's 5th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Barbara's year-round climate.

Daytime high
72°
5th warmest
Overnight low
56°
8th coldest
Rainfall
0.7 in
1.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
6:10 AM – 5:17 PM
Cloud cover
21%
5th clearest
Wind
5 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.89 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.8
out of 10

Santa Barbara is city in and county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States.

Density
845/km²
people per km²
Founded
1847

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

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 74°F in the first days to 69°F by the end.

A typical October day in Santa Barbara reaches about 72°F in the afternoon and slips back to 56°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 64°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 5°F cooler than September and about 7°F warmer than November.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17558
27458
37458
47458
57457
67457
77457
87357
97357
107356
117356
127356
137356
147356
157256
167256
177256
187255
197255
207155
217155
227155
237155
247154
257054
267054
277054
286953
296953
306953
316953

Santa Barbara weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan60° / 46°3.76.20.4105.5
Feb60° / 46°3.76.60.710.75.3
Mar62° / 47°2.75.80.611.76.2
Apr65° / 49°0.930.312.87.5
May69° / 53°0.41.8013.88.3
Jun74° / 58°0.10.5014.39.3
Jul78° / 62°0.10.7014.19.2
Aug78° / 63°0.00.2013.39.2
Sep76° / 60°0.10.5012.29.4
Oct72° / 56°0.71.9011.18.8
Nov65° / 50°1.030.110.27.5
Dec60° / 46°2.45.10.39.75.6

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 79% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 8% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 13%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1937
2937
3937
4928
5928
6919
7919
8919
99010
109010
118911
128812
138812
148812
158713
168614
178614
188515
198416
208416
218317
228317
238317
248317
258317
268218
278218
288218
298119
308020
318020

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Santa Barbara gets around 0.7 in of rain over 1.9 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 6% and peaks near 8% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
13
23
34
44
54
65
75
85
95
106
116
126
136
146
156
166
176
186
196
206
216
226
236
246
256
266
276
287
297
307
318

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 96% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19280
29280
39370
49460
59460
69550
79550
89451
99541
109541
119541
129541
139541
149541
159541
169541
179541
189541
199631
209631
219631
229730
239730
249820
259820
269820
279820
289910
299910
309910
319910

Wind in October

Winds average 5 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 66 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:58 AM to 6:24 AM, and sunset from 5:38 PM to 5:01 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.75:585:38
211.65:595:36
311.66:005:35
411.66:005:33
511.56:015:32
611.56:025:31
711.46:035:29
811.46:045:28
911.46:045:27
1011.36:055:25
1111.36:065:24
1211.36:075:23
1311.26:085:21
1411.26:085:20
1511.26:095:19
1611.16:105:17
1711.16:115:16
1811.16:125:15
1911.06:135:14
2011.06:145:13
2110.96:155:12
2210.96:155:10
2310.96:165:09
2410.86:175:08
2510.86:185:07
2610.86:195:06
2710.86:205:05
2810.76:215:04
2910.76:225:03
3010.76:235:02
3110.66:245:01

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.89 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.96 kWh/m² to a high of 8.32 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 4.89 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.2Bright
105.2Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
154.9Bright
164.9Bright
174.8Bright
184.8Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.6Bright
224.6Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.2Bright
314.2Bright
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Santa Barbara?

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

8.8
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.1
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

October is one of the better times to visit Santa Barbara for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Santa Barbara in October

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

In October, Santa Barbara sees daytime highs around 72°F and nights near 56°F. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Santa Barbara in October

The nearest coast averages about 64°F in October — 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 65°F and coldest in April near 56°F.

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

55°60°65°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan58Bracing
Feb58Bracing
Mar57Bracing
Apr56Bracing
May58Bracing
Jun61Cool
Jul64Cool
Aug65Cool
Sep65Cool
Oct64Cool
Nov62Cool
Dec59Bracing

UV index in Santa Barbara in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October 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 Santa Barbara peaks around June 23 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 11Dec 16UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov3Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Santa Barbara in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Santa Barbara is worst in July — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 5.1× the cleanest month (February, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateJul 2027 µg/m³Feb 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb6Good
Mar7Good
Apr6Good
May6Good
Jun6Good
Jul28Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep9Good
Oct11Good
Nov7Good
Dec21Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Santa Barbara?

Santa Barbara sits at 34.4°N, 119.7°W, 49 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Goleta, 7.5 mi away.

Topography around Santa Barbara

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Santa Barbara has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 830 ft around an average of 177 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,963 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 8,806 ft.

The land around Santa Barbara is covered by artificial surfaces (45%) and trees (33%) within 2 miles, water (46%) and trees (36%) within 10 miles, and water (41%), grassland (28%) and trees (21%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
830 ft
10 miles
3,963 ft
50 miles
8,806 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Goleta 7.5 mi · Isla Vista 9.3 mi · Ventura 25 mi · Oxnard 34 mi · Port Hueneme 34 mi · Santa Paula 37 mi · Camarillo 40 mi · Fillmore 45 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 Santa Barbara (34.4208°, -119.6982°, elevation 49 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).