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Climate in San Jose, California: Monthly Weather Averages

By the AverageClimate Editorial Team · Last updated: October 2026

San Jose sits at 51 feet above sea level, and its climate, as recorded at the San Jose, CA station, runs to a yearly mean of 60.7°F. The warmest month is August, averaging 70.0°F with typical highs of 81.4°F; the coldest is December, averaging 50.6°F with lows around 41.7°F. Across a normal year the city receives 13.5 in of precipitation. The full month-by-month picture below comes from the official 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals — the 30-year averages the National Weather Service itself uses — so it describes the San Jose climate you should actually plan around, whether you are timing a visit, weighing a move, or just settling an argument about which month is best.

San Jose climate month by month

The table below is the complete 1991–2020 normals profile for San Jose: average high, average low and mean temperature, rainfall, and snowfall for every month. Read down the Mean column to feel the year's rhythm — San Jose's temperature range runs from 50.6°F in December to 70.0°F in August.

How to read the colors:below freezingcoldcoolmildwarmhot. Bands are colored by each cell's own temperature, so a whole year reads at a glance.

NOAA does not publish monthly snowfall normals for this station, so the snow column is shown as —; the temperature and precipitation normals for this station are complete.

San Jose through the seasons

Winter in San Jose averages highs of 59.5–62.4°F and lows of 41.7–43.9°F, a seasonal mean of 51.5°F. The three months together bring 7.8 in of precipitation — about 58% of the city's yearly total — with January the wettest of the three at 2.80 in. Winters here are cool rather than harsh: chilly mornings, mild afternoons, and only occasional brushes with freezing weather.

Spring in San Jose averages highs of 65.9–73.8°F and lows of 46.3–52.1°F, a seasonal mean of 59.3°F. The three months together bring 3.5 in of precipitation — about 26% of the city's yearly total — with March the wettest of the three at 2.08 in. The season is a transition: the average temperature climbs 6.9°F from March to May, and by late spring San Jose is firmly into mild territory.

Summer in San Jose averages highs of 79.1–81.4°F and lows of 55.5–58.6°F, a seasonal mean of 68.9°F. The three months together bring 0.2 in of precipitation — about 2% of the city's yearly total — with June the wettest of the three at 0.18 in. It is a warm, usable summer: afternoons are hot enough for swimming and lake or coast time, while evenings usually cool off comfortably.

Fall in San Jose averages highs of 66.1–80.7°F and lows of 45.7–57.2°F, a seasonal mean of 63.1°F. The three months together bring 1.9 in of precipitation — about 14% of the city's yearly total — with November the wettest of the three at 1.33 in. Temperatures ease off through the season — the monthly mean drops 13.1°F from September to November — and fall is when San Jose's weather turns crisp and dry, while nights stay mostly frost-free into December.

Best and worst months to visit San Jose

Ranking every month by its normals — mild mean temperatures score best, heavy rain and snow count against — the most comfortable months to visit San Jose are:

JulyAugustSeptember

July leads the list: average highs of 80.8°F, lows of 58.1°F, and 0.00 in of rain. The other picks, August and September, offer the same balance in San Jose's mild stretch of the year. At the other end, January is usually the month to avoid — the year's heaviest rain, with a mean temperature of 50.8°F and 2.80 in of precipitation.

How San Jose compares

Across the 114 cities in our dataset, the typical city averages 57.8°F for the year and 35.7 in of precipitation. San Jose runs 2.9°F warmer than that typical city and drier by 22.2 in a year, ranking #43 of 114 for annual warmth and #100 of 114 for precipitation (wettest first). Its year-round temperature swing — warmest month minus coldest — is 19.4°F, which puts it in the mild, ocean- or latitude-softened camp.

Within California, San Jose is #6 of 9 for warmth of the cities we track. See the California climate overview for the full state comparison, including Fresno (warmest, 65.0°F yearly mean) and Eureka (coolest, 52.6°F).

Planning notes for San Jose

For anyone relocating: average lows never drop below freezing in any month, so hard freezes are events, not seasons; highs reach the 80s on average in 3 months, but 90°F average highs never arrive; days and nights differ by 21.0°F on average — a big desert-style swing that rewards dressing in layers year-round; 9 months of the year average between 55°F and 80°F, the band most people find comfortable without heating or cooling. Those four facts, all straight from the normals table above, shape everything from a San Jose wardrobe to its utility bills.

San Jose climate FAQ

Source: 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — ncei.noaa.gov. Station: San Jose, CA (USW00023293), elevation 51 ft. Figures checked October 2026.