California weather in February

February splits California wide open: Palm Springs runs 74° afternoons while South Lake Tahoe tops out near 43°.

Based on 12 weather stations. Twelve stations from Death Valley to the Sierra — California holds most of the country’s climates inside one border, and no state needs its regions kept apart more than this one.

Southern California

Highs 64–69°, nights 44–52°, and 2.2–3.9 in of rain in a typical February.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Los Angeles	68° / 50°	5	Wettest month of the year — which here still means mostly sun.
Anaheim	69° / 48°	5	Wet spells come in short bursts; the rest is bright.
San Diego	66° / 52°	4	Damp, green, and still warm enough for an outdoor table.
Santa Barbara	64° / 44°	5	The wettest weeks, and the hills answer within days.

Central Coast

Highs near 62°, nights 42–45°, and 3.0–4.0 in of rain in a typical February.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Monterey	62° / 45°	6	Gray skies, gray whales, and rain most weeks.
Santa Cruz	62° / 42°	7	One of the wettest months, and the surf pays it back.

Bay Area & Wine Country

Highs 60–61°, nights 40–48°, and 4.0–4.4 in of rain in a typical February.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
San Francisco	60° / 48°	8	Damp and mild, with the hillsides at their greenest.
Napa	61° / 40°	7	Yellow mustard down every row, between the wet days.

The Deserts

Highs near 74°, nights 49–50°, and 0.5–1.1 in of rain in a typical February.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Palm Springs	74° / 50°	2	Postcard weather, and everyone in the valley knows it.
Death Valley	74° / 49°	1	Bright, mild, and wide open — salt flats at their best.

The Sierra

Highs 43–51°, nights 19–30°, and 3.8–6.5 in of rain in a typical February.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Yosemite Valley	51° / 30°	9	Wet and cold, and the month everyone comes to photograph.
South Lake Tahoe	43° / 19°	9	Best snow of the season, and daylight to use it.

Each place above has its own page for the full story — what the month feels like, what to pack, and whether the timing is right.

Where to go in February, across the whole country ›