Salinas, CA climate
Salinas has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Salinas feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Salinas weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 41° | 3.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| February | 64° | 42° | 3.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| March | 66° | 44° | 2.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 1.1" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| May | 69° | 49° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| June | 72° | 51° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| July | 72° | 54° | 0.0" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| August | 74° | 54° | 0.0" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| October | 74° | 48° | 0.7" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| November | 67° | 43° | 1.5" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| December | 62° | 40° | 2.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 15.5" | 0.0" | 58 | 0 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Salinas
Salinas gets 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year. January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 58 days a year.
A year-round growing season
Heating and cooling a home in Salinas
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Salinas, 95% of that work is heating and 5% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Salinas compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Salinas averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 93% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Salinas’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 47° to 56°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Salinas’s climate
What is the coldest month in Salinas?
December, with a typical high of 62° and a low of 40°.
What is the hottest month in Salinas?
September, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 52°. About 6 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Salinas get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Salinas?
Frost is uncommon. Only 90% of years see a night at 32° or below.
What is the rainiest month in Salinas?
January, with 3.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Salinas itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Salinas #2, CA (3 mi, snow) and Salinas Municipal Airport, CA (2 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.