San Diego is 7.9°C (14.2°F) warmer by day, San Diego has 7.6°C (13.7°F) warmer nights, New York gets 857 mm (33.7 in) more rain a year.
New York is at its warmest in July and coolest in January, while San Diego peaks in August and bottoms out in January. Month for month, San Diego is the warmer of the two in 12 of 12 months.
New York is the wetter of the two, collecting 1,214 mm (47.8 in) of rain a year against 357 mm (14.1 in) in San Diego. The most comfortable time to visit is June, August and September in New York and May, June and October in San Diego.
| New York | Metric | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| 🌡️ Temperature | ||
| 73.9°F | 🌡️Average daytime high | 88.2°F |
| 30.2°F | 🌙Average nighttime low | 43.9°F |
| July | 🔥Hottest month | August |
| January | ❄️Coldest month | January |
| 🌧️ Rain | ||
| 47.8 in | 🌧️Annual rainfall | 14.1 in |
| July | ☔Wettest month | February |
| February | 🏜️Driest month | June |
| 💨 Climate | ||
| 80% | 💧Average humidity | 57% |
| 1.6 m/s | 💨Average wind speed | 2.3 m/s |
Overnight, New York typically falls to around -1°C (30.2°F) while San Diego settles near 6.6°C (43.9°F).
New York is hottest in July and coldest in January, whereas San Diego peaks in August and is coolest in January.
New York sees the most rain in July and the least in February; San Diego is wettest in February and driest in June.
New York feels the more humid of the two, averaging 80% relative humidity against 57%.
For San Diego, the pick of the year is May, June and October.
Month by month, here is the coldest night, the average day and the hottest afternoon each city can expect. Switch Compare to read rainfall, humidity, wind or solar instead, and Period to move between the long-term 45-year average and any single year — the shading is a quick warm-to-cool guide.
| Month | New York | San Diego | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min | Avg | Max | Min | Avg | Max | |
| January | 3.9 | 28.2❄️ | 52.5 | 34.2 | 53.8❄️ | 73.4 |
| February | 6.6 | 30 | 53.6 | 35.4 | 55.8 | 75.9 |
| March | 15.1 | 39.4 | 63.7 | 37.8 | 59 | 80.4 |
| April | 27.1 | 50.7 | 74.3 | 41 | 63.9 | 86.9 |
| May | 37.6 | 59.5 | 81.5 | 45.5 | 68.4 | 91 |
| June | 47.3 | 67.6 | 88 | 48.7 | 73 | 97.3 |
| July | 56.5 | 74.5🔥 | 92.5 | 54.5 | 77.7 | 100.8 |
| August | 54.7 | 73 | 91.2 | 55.8 | 79🔥 | 102.2 |
| September | 44.8 | 66.2 | 87.8 | 52.9 | 76.6 | 100.6 |
| October | 32.9 | 55.6 | 78.3 | 47.5 | 69.8 | 92.3 |
| November | 23.5 | 45.5 | 67.5 | 39.4 | 61.2 | 83.1 |
| December | 13.1 | 35.1 | 57.2 | 34.2 | 54.3 | 74.5 |
| Annual Avg | 30.2 | 52.2 | 73.9 | 43.9 | 66 | 88.2 |
Min / mean / max temperature (°F). 🔥 marks each city's hottest month, ❄️ its coldest; shading runs cool blue to warm red.
The same figures plotted out, so the shape of a typical year is easier to see than in a grid. Where the two lines run close together New York and San Diego feel alike; where they separate, they are genuinely different places to be.
Hover or tap any point to read the exact figures. New York San Diego
See how New York and San Diego stack up against other cities. Swipe for more.
Choose which city to keep, then search for any other city in our database — we'll build the comparison for you.
Quick answers to the questions people ask most when comparing New York and San Diego — each drawn straight from the climate figures above.
San Diego is the warmer of the two. It averages daytime highs of 31.2°C (88.2°F) against 23.3°C (73.9°F) in New York — roughly 7.9°C (14.2°F) warmer by day. Nights are milder in San Diego, with average lows of 6.6°C (43.9°F) versus -1°C (30.2°F).
New York is hottest in July, averaging highs of about 33.6°C (92.4°F), while San Diego peaks in August at around 39°C (102.2°F). That makes San Diego the hotter of the two at the height of summer.
New York gets colder. In its coldest month (January) overnight lows average about -15.6°C (3.9°F), compared with 1.2°C (34.2°F) at the low point of the year in San Diego.
New York is the wetter city, collecting about 1,214 mm (47.8 in) of rain a year versus 357 mm (14.1 in) in San Diego. New York is wettest in July and driest in February; San Diego is wettest in February and driest in June.
New York is the more humid of the two, averaging 80% relative humidity over the year against 57% in San Diego.
The most comfortable months in New York are June, August and September, when average temperatures are at their mildest.
San Diego is at its most pleasant around May, June and October, based on the mildest average temperatures of the year.
San Diego is the warmer city in all 12 months of the year. The gap is widest in February, about 14.3°C (25.7°F), and narrowest in July, about 1.8°C (3.2°F).
New York has the bigger seasonal swing, about 25.7°C (46.3°F) between its coldest and hottest months versus 14°C (25.2°F) in San Diego — so San Diego has the steadier, more even climate.
On climate alone, San Diego comes out ahead — it offers warmer days, less rain and lower humidity than New York. New York is the better fit only if you'd actually prefer cooler weather, more rainfall and a more humid climate.
Every figure on this page is calculated from NASA POWER satellite climate data spanning 1981–2025 (45 years). The averages describe the long-term climate of New York and San Diego, not a single year's weather or a short-range forecast.
