Santa Barbara weather in May
Temperature, sea and sunshine in May: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in May
Good
Best time to visit: May – October
What is the weather like in Santa Barbara in May?
In May, Santa Barbara is warm: daytime highs average 23 °C, and nights cool down to about 13 °C. The sea averages 14.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. With around 12 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. It hardly ever rains. All in all, May is a good month for a holiday in Santa Barbara.
May compared
How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.
More details for May
- Daylight
- 13 h 56 min05:57 – 19:53
- UV index
- 10 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 24 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 25 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 2 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−7America/Los_Angeles
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %73 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %100 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %100 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in May
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- A jumper for the evenings
Santa Barbara in May: quick answers
Is Santa Barbara hot in May?
Warm rather than hot: in May, daytime highs in Santa Barbara average 23 °C and nights cool to about 13 °C. On about 2 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more.
Can you swim in Santa Barbara in May?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 14.6 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Santa Barbara in May?
It hardly ever rains.
Santa Barbara month by month
The whole year in Santa BarbaraAll destinations: USAWhere to go in MaySea temperature in May
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