Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Salinas, California Weather

August begins in scorching stillness. Day 43 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Salinas weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Salinas, CA
Sunday, August 2 at 9:04 AM
59
°
Overcast
Feels like
60°
Humidity
91%
Wind
3 mph
Sunrise
11:13 PM
Sunset
1:11 PM
Salinas, CA
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastSalinas, CA: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 54 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
L 54°H 76°
Salinas, CA
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Aug 2
    Overcast
    —
    —
    76°55°—
  2. Monday
    Aug 3
    Foggy
    —
    —
    79°54°+3°
  3. Tuesday
    Aug 4
    Foggy
    —
    —
    77°53°-2°
  4. Wednesday
    Aug 5
    Overcast
    —
    —
    80°55°+3°
  5. Thursday
    Aug 6
    Mostly Clear
    —
    —
    82°54°+2°
  6. Friday
    Aug 7
    Clear
    —
    —
    84°55°+2°
  7. Saturday
    Aug 8
    Mostly Clear
    —
    —
    82°56°-2°
Salinas, CA
Next 24 hours · Cool now
45°65°85°12p6p12a6anow 57°high 76°low 54°
Salinas, CA
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
NW
308° · backing 30°
Direction
NW
308°
Sustained
3
mph
Gust
6
mph
Peak 24h
13
avg 6 mph
Beaufort · 1 · LIGHT AIR
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 6 mph · pk 13 mph @ 4:00p
01020MPHB1B2B3B4B5-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 132SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Salinas, CA
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
1010.0
+0.1 mb in 3h · steady · 29.83 inHg
Now
1010.0
mb
3h
+0.1
mb
12h
-0.6
mb
24h
-4.1
mb
Regime · RAIN
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 1009–1014
9951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW1013.81009.31009.4
Damp, unsettled regime — wet weather lingers nearby.
Salinas, CA
Air quality
51
AQI
Moderate
→0 in 6h

AQI 51 (Moderate), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). PM2.5 at 9.8 µg/m³ (AQI 52) with a 0.80 fine-to-coarse ratio and 3 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in stagnant air, not road dust.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5DRIVERGood
9.8μg/m³
PM 10Good
12μg/m³
NO₂Good
7μg/m³
OzoneGood
20μg/m³
UV IndexLow
0.9

What's driving it

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 9.8 µg/m³ (AQI 52) with a 0.80 fine-to-coarse ratio and 3 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in stagnant air, not road dust.

PM2.5/PM10
0.80
Wind
calm
Recent rain
0h in last 6h
Pattern
stagnant smoke

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUN7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³300
Salinas, CA
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
84%
MOSTLY CLOUDY
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
26.7mi
UNLIMITED
51 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
16:04 UTC · Salinas, CA · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
16:04 UTC · Salinas, CA · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Salinas, CA
Satellite · infrared · animated
Salinas, CA
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Salinas, CA
Almanac · Sunday, August 2
Red sky at night, sailor's delight.
Civil dawn
5:45 AM
Sunrise
11:13 PM
Daylight
13h 58m
Sunset
1:11 PM
Civil dusk
8:42 PM
Planting note
Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.
Salinas, CA
The moon
Waning Gibbous
84% illuminated
Moonrise
9:51 PM
Moonset
10:16 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Salinas, CA
Microseason
Aug 1–5

August begins in scorching stillness

plant
Jan 159% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Salinas at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 7°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: March 27 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Aug 1–5
  • Planting window: Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.

ZIP codes: 93901, 93905, 93906, 93907, 93908

16-Day Forecast — Salinas

  1. Sun76°55°1%
  2. Mon79°54°0%
  3. Tue77°53°0%
  4. Wed80°55°0%
  5. Thu82°54°0%
  6. Fri84°55°0%
  7. Sat82°56°0%
  8. Sun74°55°0%
  9. Mon74°56°0%
  10. Tue75°53°1%
  11. Wed74°57°3%
  12. Thu76°54°2%
  13. Fri75°53°0%
  14. Sat74°54°0%
  15. Sun74°57°3%
  16. Mon78°54°0%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near Salinas

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of August 2, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

Sun & seasons in Salinas

Salinas sits in Monterey County, where the year’s longest day runs 14h 40m of daylight and its shortest just 9h 39m — a swing of +5h 2m between the June and December solstices. Clocks spring forward on Sunday, March 8, 2026 and fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Los Angeles, the state’s largest city, lies about 254 miles to the SE. The nearest town Salinas tracks is Santa Cruz, roughly 30 miles to the NW.

Air quality in Salinas’s county has held roughly steady since 2020; its cleanest year on record was 2025 (median AQI 38). See the full air-quality history for Salinas.

January 1–5: New year in coastal mist.January 6–10: Hills hold the winter cold.January 11–15: Light lengthens over wet earth.January 16–20: The green pulse quickens.January 21–25: Spring green spreads inland.January 26–31: Winter's grip releases.February 1–5: Fog lifts, flowers open.February 6–10: Blooms erupt across chaparral.February 11–15: Winter blooms at their peak.February 16–20: Rivers recede, flowers spread.February 21–25: Earth warms, flowers rush upslope.February 26–28: Spring advances on cool winds.March 1–5: Grass and trees bud and break.March 6–10: Insects wake and feed.March 11–15: Blossoms crown the hillsides.March 16–20: Monarch chrysalis emergence.March 21–25: Light overtakes dark at equinox.March 26–31: California poppy ablaze.April 1–5: Spring rain feeds the seedlings.April 6–10: Warblers flood the understory.April 11–15: Allen's hummingbirds in courtship dives.April 16–20: Coastal fog settles; sun breaks midday.April 21–25: Oak canopies full and green.April 26–30: Chaparral awakens after spring rains.May 1–5: Coastal wildflowers at their peak.May 6–10: Gray whales complete their migration north.May 11–15: Redwood coast in cool shade.May 16–20: Fog and sun in daily rhythm.May 21–25: Summer approaches; hills turn gold.May 26–31: Dry season begins; tule fog in valleys.June 1–5: Coastal fog thickens at dawn.June 6–10: California poppies fade as heat rises.June 11–15: Summer solstice light stretched thin.June 16–20: Bay laurel fragrance sweetens shade.June 21–25: Longest daylight, driest air.June 26–30: Fog banks mask the turning tide.July 1–5: Summer heat deepens across the valleys.July 6–10: Warm winds drive dryness inland.July 11–15: Pacific high settles in firmly.July 16–20: Young hawks take to the thermals.July 21–25: Peak fire season, peak heat.July 26–31: Chaparral poised for ignition.August 1–5: August begins in scorching stillness.August 6–10: Autumn's first cool breath arrives.August 11–15: Cool winds signal the turning year.August 16–20: Evening cicada chorus.August 21–25: Marine layer descent.August 26–31: Monarch staging begins.September 1–5: Fire season intensity.September 6–10: Dew on drying grasses.September 11–15: Raptor passage begins.September 16–20: Equinox descent.September 21–25: Ceanothus blooms again.September 26–30: Insects retreat below.October 1–5: Creeks begin to whisper.October 6–10: Santa Ana wind season.October 11–15: Wildflower anticipation.October 16–20: Chaparral embers glow.October 21–25: First atmospheric river looms.October 26–31: Rains return at last.November 1–5: Coast live oak leaves turn amber.November 6–10: California lilac blooms in winter light.November 11–15: First rain greens the chaparral.November 16–20: Coastal fog thickens as storms approach.November 21–25: Thanksgiving rains swell the valleys.November 26–30: Autumn's last breath yields to winter.December 1–5: December arrives, storms accelerate.December 6–10: Winter solstice season intensifies.December 11–15: Deep winter: rivers at flood stage.December 16–20: Winter salmon runs peak in northern rivers.December 21–25: Winter solstice: the sun turns.December 26–31: Year's end in wind and rain.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · August 1–5

August begins in scorching stillness

Calm days dominate early August; temperatures peak; the entire ecosystem is in survival mode.

Day 214 of 365 · Wedge 43 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
Aprillettuce, peas, spinach, radishes—
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Junetomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
August—tomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Octoberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotswinter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

Salinas peaks at about 64°F in September and bottoms near 51°F in December; January brings the heaviest rain (2.6 inches) and July the least (0.0 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January52°2.6″6
February53°2.4″6
March55°2.1″5
April57°0.9″3
May59°0.4″1
June62°0.1″0
July63°0.0″0
August64°0.0″0
September64°0.1″0
October62°0.6″1
November56°1.3″3
December51°2.1″5

Regional context

Drawing on NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Salinas's January averages 52°F and July 63°F — 11°F apart — while precipitation totals roughly 12.6 inches over some 31 days.

Cool-season fronts carry Salinas's rain: January logs 2.6 inches on 6.0 days, against July's 0.0 inches on 0.0 — winter does the heavy lifting in Salinas. That groups Salinas with places like Boronda, CA, Spreckels, CA and Prunedale, CA on the same cool-season storm track.

Salinas rarely sees a hard freeze — its coldest month sits near 51°F — so planting spans most of the calendar. Heat peaks in September around 64°F, which confines cool-season crops to the shoulders of summer. Across Salinas, elevation and tree cover drive a 4-7°F spread in Salinas's overnight lows.

Similar climates: Boronda, CA, Spreckels, CA, Prunedale, CA, Castroville, CA, Marina, CA.

Naturalist notes

Late May brings the peak blooming period for California poppies across the surrounding hills.

American goldfinches typically molt into their bright yellow breeding plumage during April and May.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Salinas?
In Salinas, expect the last spring frost near mid-April; Salinas's first autumn frost comes around mid-November.
What is the rainy season in Salinas?
Rainfall in Salinas peaks in January near 2.6 inches, out of about 13 inches annually.
What is the warmest month in Salinas?
Salinas peaks in September, when the mean runs near 64°F.
What is the coldest month in Salinas?
December is Salinas's coldest month, averaging about 51°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Salinas?
In Salinas, sow peas and hardy greens around mid-April; Salinas's tomatoes and peppers wait two weeks more.
How many rainy days does Salinas get?
Salinas averages about 31 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
What hardiness zone is Salinas?
With December around 51°F, Salinas's zone reflects that minimum — the USDA ZIP map confirms Salinas's band.
What is the 10-day forecast for Salinas?
Salinas's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Salinas?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Salinas in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Salinas?
Current conditions for Salinas and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Salinas forecast updated?
The Salinas forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Salinas?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Salinas are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Salinas?
The next few days in Salinas's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Set in a hot-summer Mediterranean zone, Salinas, California swings from 52°F in the heart of winter to 63°F at midsummer — a 11°F arc.

Across the year, Salinas collects about 13 inches of precipitation over roughly 31 days with measurable rain or snow.

Salinas's 11°F range, set by its 36.7°N position, drives frost timing and what thrives in Salinas.

All cities in California →

San Jose, CA weather →

ZIP codes in Salinas

  • 93901
  • 93905
  • 93906
  • 93902
  • 93915

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.