Santa Barbara weather in September

In September, Santa Barbara sees average daytime highs of 76°F and overnight lows near 60°F, with 0.1 in of rain across 0.5 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 78°F in the first days to 75°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 91% 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 Santa Barbara's 2nd-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Barbara's year-round climate.

Daytime high
76°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
60°
10th coldest
Rainfall
0.1 in
0.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
5:47 AM – 5:59 PM
Cloud cover
13%
2nd clearest
Wind
5 mph
10th windiest
Solar energy
6.33 kWh/m²
Travel score
9.4
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 September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 78°F in the first days to 75°F by the end.

A typical September day in Santa Barbara reaches about 76°F in the afternoon and slips back to 60°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 70°F and 83°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 2°F cooler than August and about 5°F warmer than October.

50°60°70°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17863
27863
37862
47862
57862
67862
77762
87762
97761
107761
117761
127761
137661
147661
157660
167660
177660
187660
197660
207660
217660
227660
237659
247659
257659
267559
277559
287559
297559
307558

Santa Barbara weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-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 September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 91% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 4% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 5%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1964
2964
3964
4964
5955
6955
7955
8955
9955
10955
11955
12955
13955
14955
15955
16955
17955
18955
19955
20955
21946
22946
23946
24937
25937
26937
27937
28937
29937
30937

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Santa Barbara gets around 0.1 in of rain over 0.5 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 (%)
12
22
32
42
52
62
72
82
92
102
112
122
132
142
152
161
171
181
191
201
211
221
231
242
252
262
272
282
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 82% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
168293
269283
370273
471263
572253
674233
775223
876213
977203
1080182
1181172
1282162
1383152
1483152
1585141
1685141
1786131
1886131
1987121
2088120
2188120
2288120
2389110
2489110
2589110
2689110
2790100
2890100
299190
309190

Wind in September

Winds average 5 mph in September.

Across September, 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.

0246810151015202530
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

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 5:36 AM to 5:57 AM, and sunset from 6:21 PM to 5:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:366:21
212.75:376:20
312.75:376:18
412.65:386:17
512.65:396:16
612.65:396:14
712.55:406:13
812.55:416:11
912.55:426:10
1012.45:426:08
1112.45:436:07
1212.45:446:05
1312.35:456:04
1412.35:456:02
1512.25:466:01
1612.25:475:59
1712.25:475:58
1812.15:485:57
1912.15:495:55
2012.15:505:54
2112.05:505:52
2212.05:515:51
2312.05:525:49
2411.95:535:48
2511.95:535:46
2611.85:545:45
2711.85:555:43
2811.85:565:42
2911.75:565:40
3011.75:575:39

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 6.33 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 — September's 6.33 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.9Intense
26.9Intense
36.8Intense
46.8Intense
56.8Intense
66.7Intense
76.7Intense
86.6Intense
96.6Intense
106.6Intense
116.5Intense
126.5Intense
136.5Intense
146.4Intense
156.4Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.0Intense
246.0Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
Planning a trip in September

Is September a good time to visit Santa Barbara?

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

9.4
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
8.2
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

September 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 September

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

In September, Santa Barbara sees daytime highs around 76°F and nights near 60°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes.

sun protectionlight clothes

Sea temperature near Santa Barbara in September

The nearest coast averages about 65°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 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 September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 8 — 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 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 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
September 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).