Monterey records about 478mm of rain across roughly 56 wet days a year, which is a 15% chance on an average day. January is the wettest month at 95mm (20% of the annual total) and July the driest at 1mm. Local rain type: steady rain. Monterey has a Mediterranean climate. Summer fog is more common than rain — the famous marine layer keeps things cool and misty from June through August.
Chance of rain on an average day: 15%
Rainfall climatology for Monterey. 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 | 478mm |
| Rain days per year | 56 |
| Odds on an average day | 15% |
| Wettest month | January — 95mm over 12 days |
| Driest month | July — 1mm over 1 days |
| Rain type | steady rain |
| Best dry window | September and October offer the warmest, clearest conditions — "second summer." |
| Worst rain window | December through February brings the wettest conditions. |
January delivers 9400% more rain than July (95mm vs 1mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.
20% of the year's rain falls in January alone, so Monterey has a genuine wet season rather than evenly spread showers.
Monterey rain typically comes as discrete showers, so a compact umbrella and a flexible plan are usually enough.
Rain falls on about 12 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 | 95mm | 12 | 40% | 14°C |
| February | 82mm | 11 | 37% | 14°C |
| March | 72mm | 9 | 30% | 15°C |
| April | 32mm | 4 | 13% | 17°C |
| May | 12mm | 2 | 7% | 19°C |
| June | 3mm | 1 | 3% | 21°C |
| July | 1mm | 1 | 3% | 22°C |
| August | 2mm | 1 | 3% | 22°C |
| September | 5mm | 1 | 3% | 21°C |
| October | 18mm | 2 | 7% | 19°C |
| November | 42mm | 5 | 17% | 17°C |
| December | 72mm | 9 | 30% | 15°C |
Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Monterey 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.
Monterey records rain on roughly 56 days a year — about a 15% chance on any given day — totalling around 478mm.
January, with about 95mm over 12 rain days. That is 20% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.
July is the driest month at 1mm across roughly 1 days. September and October offer the warmest, clearest conditions — "second summer."
Monterey has a Mediterranean climate. Summer fog is more common than rain — the famous marine layer keeps things cool and misty from June through August.
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.