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Climate · United States

Big Sur

Warm and dry from July to October; cool and damp from December to April.

Typical weather, averaged over 30 years36.3°N366 m above the sea
  1. Jan59°15°47°8°Rain on about two days a week.
  2. Feb59°15°46°8°Rain on about two days a week.
  3. Mar60°16°46°8°Rain on about two days a week.
  4. Apr61°16°47°8°Rain on about two days a week.
  5. May64°18°50°10°Rain on about one day a week.
  6. Jun69°21°53°12°Rain on fewer than one day a week.
  7. Jul72°22°55°13°Rain on fewer than one day a week.
  8. Aug73°23°57°14°Rain on fewer than one day a week.
  9. Sep73°23°57°14°Rain on fewer than one day a week.
  10. Oct71°22°55°13°Rain on fewer than one day a week.
  11. Nov64°18°50°10°Rain on about one day a week.
  12. Dec59°15°47°8°Rain on about two days a week.
Each month: its typical high and low, and dots for wet days a week. Tap a month to open it.The best months

The warm season runs from July to October, with highs near 72°F and nights near 56°F. From December to April, highs are nearer 60°F. The rain comes from December to April, on about two days a week. June to October is the driest stretch, with rain on fewer than one day a week. Daylight runs from about 9½ hours in December to 14½ hours in June.The warm season runs from July to October, with highs near 22°C and nights near 13°C. From December to April, highs are nearer 16°C. The rain comes from December to April, on about two days a week. June to October is the driest stretch, with rain on fewer than one day a week. Daylight runs from about 9½ hours in December to 14½ hours in June.

Where Big Sur sits

America/Los Angeles
this place
typical high in Januarytypical high in Februarytypical high in Marchtypical high in Apriltypical high in Maytypical high in Junetypical high in Julytypical high in Augusttypical high in Septembertypical high in Octobertypical high in Novembertypical high in December 40°F4°C95°F35°C
Latitude
36.3°Nnorthern hemisphere
Above the sea
366 mlow-lying
Sunrise, mid-JanuarySunrise, mid-FebruarySunrise, mid-MarchSunrise, mid-AprilSunrise, mid-MaySunrise, mid-JuneSunrise, mid-JulySunrise, mid-AugustSunrise, mid-SeptemberSunrise, mid-OctoberSunrise, mid-NovemberSunrise, mid-December
7:18 AM6:56 AM7:20 AM6:35 AM6:01 AM5:49 AM6:01 AM6:25 AM6:49 AM7:13 AM6:44 AM7:11 AMsets 5:14 PMsets 5:47 PMsets 7:14 PMsets 7:40 PMsets 8:05 PMsets 8:26 PMsets 8:25 PMsets 8:00 PMsets 7:17 PMsets 6:33 PMsets 5:00 PMsets 4:54 PM
Nearest of ours
Carmel33 km north

The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in January, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in February, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in March, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in April, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in May, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in June, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in July, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in August, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in September, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in October, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in November, the planning map's own layer.The land around Big Sur, shaded by its typical high in December, the planning map's own layer. Hover the map for the figure at that spot; tap it on a phone. Clock times are local, for the 15th.

Through the year

week by week

Temperature

Highs from 59°F in December and January to 73°F in August and September.Highs from 15°C in December and January to 23°C in August and September.

Chance of a wet day

Wettest in February (34% of days), driest in July and August (1%).

Cloud cover

Clearest in August and September (14% cover), cloudiest in January (55%).

Daylight

From 9h 44m in December to 14h 35m in June.

Week by week, lightly smoothed. Shading marks the seasons; the olive line, the best months. Hover or tap a week for its figures.

Month by month

°F°C
Big Sur, month by month: the typical high and low, wet days a week, cloud cover and daylight.
MonthTypical low to highWet days a weekCloudDaylight
JanuaryWetter
47°8°59°15°
2 days55%9h 59m
FebruaryWetter
46°8°59°15°
2 days52%10h 48m
MarchWetter
46°8°60°16°
2 days50%11h 54m
AprilWetter
47°8°61°16°
2 days43%13h 05m
May
50°10°64°18°
1 day38%14h 05m
June
53°12°69°21°
no days27%14h 35m
JulyWarm seasonAt its best
55°13°72°22°
no days15%14h 21m
AugustWarm seasonAt its best
57°14°73°23°
no days14%13h 29m
SeptemberWarm seasonAt its best
57°14°73°23°
no days14%12h 20m
OctoberWarm seasonAt its best
55°13°71°22°
no days25%11h 10m
November
50°10°64°18°
1 day41%10h 11m
DecemberWetter
47°8°59°15°
2 days52%9h 44m

When is the best time to visit Big Sur?

The best months are July to October: highs near 72°F, nights near 56°F, and rain on fewer than one day a week.The best months are July to October: highs near 22°C, nights near 13°C, and rain on fewer than one day a week.

How we judge it: every month is scored on how close its typical high comes to the range from 70°F to 80°F, how mild its nights are, and how rarely it rains. The best months are the run of months that scores best.How we judge it: every month is scored on how close its typical high comes to the range from 21°C to 27°C, how mild its nights are, and how rarely it rains. The best months are the run of months that scores best.

Questions

What is the warmest month in Big Sur?

August and September, with highs near 73°F and lows near 57°F. The coolest are December and January, with highs near 59°F.August and September, with highs near 23°C and lows near 14°C. The coolest are December and January, with highs near 15°C.

When does it rain most in Big Sur?

February, with rain on about two days a week. July and August are the driest, with rain on fewer than one day a week.

How long are the days in Big Sur?

From about 9½ hours in December to 14½ hours in June.

When are the skies clearest in Big Sur?

August and September, when cloud covers about 14% of the sky on average. January is the cloudiest, at about 55%.

Places with a year like Big Sur's

by their highs, lows and wet days

Their highs, lows, wet days and cloud run closest to Big Sur's through the year, one place a country. “Six months apart”: their winter is Big Sur's summer.

Elsewhere in United States

All of United States

Where to stay

2 in our collection
Open the planning map

Typical weather, averaged over 30 years (1995–2024), from the 11 km grid square nearest Big Sur. Temperatures are adjusted against 66 weather stations: daytime highs read about 3.1°F cold in the source data and are raised to match, and both highs and lows are adjusted for the town's height (366 m) against the climate model's (439 m).Temperatures are adjusted against 66 weather stations: daytime highs read about 1.7°C cold in the source data and are raised to match, and both highs and lows are adjusted for the town's height (366 m) against the climate model's (439 m). Daylight is calculated from latitude. Charts are lightly smoothed week to week; the figures in the table are not. Source: Copernicus ERA5-Land reanalysis; cloud cover from NASA's MERRA-2 reanalysis, on a coarser grid of about 50 km. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026; neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use of it. These are averages, not a forecast.

Daylight is calculated from latitude. Charts are lightly smoothed week to week; the figures in the table are not.

Source: Copernicus ERA5-Land reanalysis; cloud cover from NASA's MERRA-2 reanalysis, on a coarser grid of about 50 km. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026; neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use of it. These are averages, not a forecast.