2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Santa Monica, CA vs Riverside, CA

Highlights

On average, there are 277 sunny days per year in Riverside. Santa Monica averages 281 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Riverside, California gets 11.3 inches of rain, on average, per year. Santa Monica, California gets 13.7 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Riverside averages 0 inches of snow per year. Santa Monica averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Riverside, California
Summer High: the July high is around 94.2 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 42.4
Rain: averages 11.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

Santa Monica, California
Summer High: the July high is around 73.5 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 49.3
Rain: averages 13.7 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Riverside is 8.7 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Santa Monica is 9.2 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in California.

Today's Weather - Santa Monica, CA

72°F

Today's Weather - Riverside, CA

96°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Santa Monica / Riverside

August is the hottest month for Santa Monica with an average high temperature of 74.3°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in California. In Santa Monica, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Santa Monica are August, September and July.

August is the hottest month for Riverside with an average high temperature of 95.4°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in California. In Riverside, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Riverside are April, May and November.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Santa Monica with an average of 48.6°. This is one of the warmest places in California.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Riverside with an average of 41.3°. This is warmer than most places in California.

In Santa Monica, there are 1.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in California.

In Riverside, there are 95.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in California.

In Santa Monica, there are 0.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the warmest places in California.

In Riverside, there are 4.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

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

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

February is the wettest month in Santa Monica with 3.4 inches of rain, and the driest month is August with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 61% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 13.7 inches in Santa Monica means that it is drier than most places in California.


February is the wettest month in Riverside with 2.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is June with 0.1 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 59% of yearly precipitation and 3% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 11.3 inches in Riverside means that it is drier than most places in California.

February is the rainiest month in Santa Monica with 5.9 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 0.3 rainy days. There are 30.3 rainy days annually in Santa Monica, which is one of the least rainy places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 53% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 4% chance of a rainy day.

February is the rainiest month in Riverside with 6.2 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 0.4 rainy days. There are 34.0 rainy days annually in Riverside, which is less rainy than most 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.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Santa Monica, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Riverside, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Santa Monica.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Riverside.