Monterey County, CA Climate

Monterey County, located in California’s Central Coast region, enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate characterized by warm summers and mild winters. The temperatures in the summer reach an average high of around 65°F and rarely dip below 50°F at night. Winters tend to be cool and rainy, with average highs around 60°F during the day and lows near 40°F. Most of the county’s yearly rainfall occurs from December through March, averaging 17 inches per year. Despite this precipitation, Monterey County is still considered a semi-arid region due to its low humidity levels and high evaporation rates. The coastal areas and valleys are generally cooler than the inland cities such as Salinas, which experience very hot summers.

Monterey County, California gets 18 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Monterey County averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 264 sunny days per year in Monterey County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Monterey County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 60 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 75 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 40
Rain: averages 18 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Monterey County is 8.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.

9.2 Summer - 7.6 Winter

September, August and July are the most pleasant months in Monterey County, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Monterey, California	United States
	18.3 in.	38.1 in.
	0.1 in.	27.8 in.
	60.1 days	106.2 days
	264 days	205 days
	74.5°	85.8°
	40.1°	21.7°
	8.5	7
	5.4	4.3
	1426 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

September is the hottest month for Monterey County with an average high temperature of 75.9°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in California. In Monterey County, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Monterey County are September, August and July.

In Monterey County, there are 15.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in California.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Monterey County with an average of 39.8°. This is warmer than most places in California.

In Monterey County, there are 13.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In Monterey County, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

Humidity in Monterey County is generally quite low and comfortable. There are few days during the summer when the humidity becomes unpleasant. The most humid months (but still comfortable) are August, July and September.

January is the wettest month in Monterey County with 3.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 57% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 18.3 inches in Monterey County means that it is about average compared to other places in California.

February is the rainiest month in Monterey County with 10.0 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.6 rainy days. There are 60.1 rainy days annually in Monterey County, which is about average compared to other places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 48% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 5% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 0.1 inches in Monterey County means that it is snowier than most places in California. December is the snowiest month in Monterey County with 0.1 inches of snow, and no months of the year have significant snowfall.

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