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Climate · Planning
San Diego averages roughly 10 inches of rain a year and about 40 rainy days, and almost all of it falls in a four-month winter window. Plan around that window and you'll almost never see rain here.
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San Diego's rainy season runs from December through March, which delivers most of the city's roughly 10 inches of annual rainfall. February is typically the wettest month with about 2 inches. Summer is essentially dry — June through September average under a tenth of an inch each — so a July or September trip almost never sees rain.
Annual rainfall
About 10 inches — one of the driest major U.S. cities
Rainy season
December through March
Wettest month
February, roughly 2 inches
Driest months
June through September, under 0.1 inch each
Rain days per year
About 40, most of them partial-day
El Niño years
Can double seasonal totals and bring atmospheric river storms
| Month | Avg rainfall | Rain days | What it means for plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | ~2.0 in | 6 | Wettest stretch; keep an indoor backup each day |
| February | ~2.1 in | 6 | Peak rain, also peak whale watching and green hills |
| March | ~1.7 in | 6 | Storms taper; waterfalls and wildflowers arrive |
| April | ~0.8 in | 3 | Mostly dry, occasional late storm |
| May | ~0.2 in | 2 | Marine layer, not rain — May Gray season |
| June | ~0.1 in | 1 | June Gloom mornings, dry |
| July–August | ~0.05 in | 0–1 | Effectively rainless |
| September | ~0.1 in | 1 | Clearest, warmest month of the year |
| October | ~0.4 in | 2 | Beautiful; occasional first storm |
| November | ~1.0 in | 4 | Season begins; still mostly sunny |
| December | ~1.7 in | 6 | Real storms return |
San Diego rain usually arrives in bands over a few hours rather than falling all day. A one-inch storm is a significant weather event locally, schools and traffic feel it immediately, and the sun is often out again by afternoon. Plan a flexible morning rather than writing off the whole day.
County health officials advise staying out of the ocean for 72 hours after significant rain because of stormwater runoff, especially near river mouths and Imperial Beach. Check the beach water quality advisories before surfing or swimming in the days after a storm.
December through March. Those four months deliver most of San Diego's roughly 10 inches of annual rainfall, with February typically the wettest at about 2 inches.
About 10 inches a year across roughly 40 rain days, making it one of the driest major cities in the United States.
Almost never. June through September each average under a tenth of an inch, and many summers pass with no measurable rain at all.
July and August are effectively rainless, and September is the clearest and warmest month overall.
County health guidance is to wait 72 hours after significant rain because of stormwater runoff, particularly near river mouths and in the south county.
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Written and fact-checked by the Sandi Spots Editorial team — San Diego residents publishing under Sleep Coast LLC. Every place we recommend has been visited in person or verified against an official source, and no business can pay for inclusion or a higher ranking. Last updated .