2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Chapel Hill, NC vs Santa Barbara, CA

Highlights

On average, there are 283 sunny days per year in Santa Barbara. Chapel Hill averages 216 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Santa Barbara, California gets 18.5 inches of rain, on average, per year. Chapel Hill, North Carolina gets 46.3 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Santa Barbara averages 0 inches of snow per year. Chapel Hill averages 3.8 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Santa Barbara, California
Summer High: the July high is around 73.1 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 43.1
Rain: averages 18.5 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Summer High: the July high is around 88.8 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 29.3
Rain: averages 46.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 3.8 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Santa Barbara is 8.9 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Chapel Hill is 7.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in North Carolina.

Today's Weather - Chapel Hill, NC

69°F

Today's Weather - Santa Barbara, CA

62°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Chapel Hill / Santa Barbara

July is the hottest month for Chapel Hill with an average high temperature of 88.8°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in North Carolina. In Chapel Hill, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Chapel Hill are May, September and October.

August is the hottest month for Santa Barbara with an average high temperature of 73.7°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in California. In Santa Barbara, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Santa Barbara are August, September and July.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chapel Hill with an average of 29.3°. This is about average compared to other places in North Carolina.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Santa Barbara with an average of 43.0°. This is warmer than most places in California.

In Chapel Hill, there are 36.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in North Carolina.

In Santa Barbara, there are 1.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in California.

In Chapel Hill, there are 70.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in North Carolina.

In Santa Barbara, there are 1.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

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

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

August is the wettest month in Chapel Hill with 4.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is April with 3.3 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 28% of yearly precipitation and 23% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 46.3 inches in Chapel Hill means that it is drier than most places in North Carolina.


February is the wettest month in Santa Barbara with 4.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is July 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 18.5 inches in Santa Barbara means that it is about average compared to other places in California.

July is the rainiest month in Chapel Hill with 10.9 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 7.6 rainy days. There are 113.5 rainy days annually in Chapel Hill, which is rainier than most places in North Carolina. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 27% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 21% chance of a rainy day.

February is the rainiest month in Santa Barbara with 7.0 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.4 rainy days. There are 37.8 rainy days annually in Santa Barbara, which is less rainy than most places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 50% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 4% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 3.8 inches in Chapel Hill means that it is snowier than most places in North Carolina.

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

January is the snowiest month in Chapel Hill with 1.9 inches of snow, and 2 months of the year have significant snowfall.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Santa Barbara.