2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Palm Desert, CA vs Santa Barbara, CA

Highlights

On average, there are 283 sunny days per year in Santa Barbara. Palm Desert averages 269 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Santa Barbara, California gets 18.5 inches of rain, on average, per year. Palm Desert, California gets 4.7 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. Palm Desert averages 0 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

Palm Desert, California
Summer High: the July high is around 107.6 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 45.3
Rain: averages 4.7 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 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 Palm Desert is 7.4 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in California.

Today's Weather - Palm Desert, CA

68°F

Today's Weather - Santa Barbara, CA

58°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Palm Desert / Santa Barbara

July is the hottest month for Palm Desert with an average high temperature of 107.6°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in California. In Palm Desert, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Palm Desert are November, March and February.

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.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Palm Desert with an average of 44.2°. This is warmer than most places in California.

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

In Palm Desert, there are 175.7 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in California.

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 Palm Desert, there are 1.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

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 Palm Desert, 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 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.

February is the wettest month in Palm Desert with 0.9 inches of rain, and the driest month is June with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 54% of yearly precipitation and 11% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 4.7 inches in Palm Desert means that it is one of the driest places in California.


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.

January is the rainiest month in Palm Desert with 2.8 days of rain, and June is the driest month with only 0.1 rainy days. There are 13.5 rainy days annually in Palm Desert, 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 10% 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.

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

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

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Palm Desert.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Santa Barbara.