Santa Barbara weather in January
Temperature, sea and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in January
Poor
Best time to visit: May – October
What is the weather like in Santa Barbara in January?
In January, Santa Barbara is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 14.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 88 mm. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Santa Barbara.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Day | 18° | 18° | 18° |
| Night | 8° | 8° | 8° |
| Sea | 15° | 14° | 14° |
| Sun | 6 h | 7 h | 7 h |
| Rain days | 6 | 6 | 6 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 10 h 5 min07:05 – 17:10
- UV index
- 3 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 21 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 43 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−8America/Los_Angeles
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %58 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %87 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in January
- A jumper for the evenings
Santa Barbara in January: quick answers
Is Santa Barbara hot in January?
No. In January, Santa Barbara is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C and nights drop to about 8 °C.
Can you swim in Santa Barbara in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 14.4 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Santa Barbara in January?
Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 88 mm.
Santa Barbara month by month
The whole year in Santa BarbaraAll destinations: USAWhere to go in JanuarySea temperature in January
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences