Santa Monica 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: June – October
What is the weather like in Santa Monica in May?
In May, Santa Monica is warm: daytime highs average 23 °C, and nights cool down to about 13 °C. The sea averages 16.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. With around 10 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 Monica.
May compared
How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.
More details for May
- Daylight
- 13 h 54 min05:53 – 19:47
- UV index
- 10 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 19 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 42 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 1 day30 °C or moreAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−7America/Los_Angeles
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %63 %
- 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
- Wetsuit for longer swims
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- A jumper for the evenings
Santa Monica in May: quick answers
Is Santa Monica hot in May?
Warm rather than hot: in May, daytime highs in Santa Monica average 23 °C and nights cool to about 13 °C. On about 1 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more.
Can you swim in Santa Monica in May?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 16.6 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from August to September.
Does it rain much in Santa Monica in May?
It hardly ever rains.
Santa Monica month by month
The whole year in Santa MonicaAll 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