Big Sur records about 1076mm of rain across roughly 68 wet days a year, which is a 19% chance on an average day. January is the wettest month at 168mm (16% of the annual total) and July the driest at 1mm. Local rain type: steady rain. Big Sur has a dramatic wet/dry split — winter brings heavy Pacific storms while summer is bone-dry. Coastal fog can obscure views any time of year.
Chance of rain on an average day: 19%
Rainfall climatology for Big Sur. The live hour-by-hour answer for today loads at the top of this page from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day — the figures below describe a typical year, not today.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Annual rainfall | 1076mm |
| Rain days per year | 68 |
| Odds on an average day | 19% |
| Wettest month | January — 168mm over 15 days |
| Driest month | July — 1mm over 1 days |
| Rain type | steady rain |
| Best dry window | June through October offers dry conditions — but coastal fog can limit views, especially in June. |
| Worst rain window | December through February brings heavy Pacific storms with mudslide risk. |
January delivers 16700% more rain than July (168mm vs 1mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.
No single month holds more than 16% of the annual total, so rain in Big Sur is spread through the year — there is no season you can rely on being dry.
Big Sur rain typically comes as discrete showers, so a compact umbrella and a flexible plan are usually enough.
Rain falls on about 15 days in January against 1 in July — the frequency swing matters more for planning than the millimetre totals.
Climate normals. Use them to judge whether today's live forecast at the top of the page is typical or unusual for the season.
| Month | Rainfall | Rain days | Chance on a given day | Highs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 168mm | 15 | 50% | 14°C |
| February | 145mm | 13 | 43% | 14°C |
| March | 120mm | 11 | 37% | 15°C |
| April | 52mm | 5 | 17% | 17°C |
| May | 12mm | 1 | 3% | 19°C |
| June | 3mm | 1 | 3% | 21°C |
| July | 1mm | 1 | 3% | 22°C |
| August | 2mm | 1 | 3% | 22°C |
| September | 6mm | 1 | 3% | 21°C |
| October | 28mm | 2 | 7% | 19°C |
| November | 72mm | 6 | 20% | 17°C |
| December | 155mm | 14 | 47% | 15°C |
Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Big Sur we combine the hourly probability curve, expected volume in millimetres, and the city's own rainfall record into a single umbrella verdict.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly probability | 40% | Peak and sustained chance of measurable rain across the next 24 hours. |
| Expected volume | 30% | Total millimetres, which separates a passing shower from a genuine soaking. |
| Timing & duration | 20% | When rain starts, when it eases, and the longest continuous dry window. |
| Local rain type | 10% | Drizzle, brief showers, thunderstorms or monsoon — each needs different gear. |
Live hourly values come from Open-Meteo and refresh through the day. Monthly rainfall figures are climate normals, so they describe a typical year rather than a forecast.
Big Sur records rain on roughly 68 days a year — about a 19% chance on any given day — totalling around 1076mm.
January, with about 168mm over 15 rain days. That is 16% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.
July is the driest month at 1mm across roughly 1 days. June through October offers dry conditions — but coastal fog can limit views, especially in June.
Big Sur has a dramatic wet/dry split — winter brings heavy Pacific storms while summer is bone-dry. Coastal fog can obscure views any time of year.
No. Probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm of rain falls at your location at some point in the period. Check the expected millimetres alongside it: 40% with 0.4mm is a passing shower, 40% with 12mm is a soaking.