ERA5 almanac comparison — 8 years of real data
San Luis Obispo vs Santa Barbara: weather in October
Santa Barbara edges out San Luis Obispo for sun in October: 81% clear historically versus 71% (8-year ERA5 average, a 10-point gap). Both are viable — Santa Barbara is the safer bet.
What you are reading: 8-year historical averages, not a forecast.
Either destination can still surprise you this specific October. For this
week’s actual forecast, each destination links to its live page below.
San Luis Obispo
CA
- Clear days, October
- 71%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 78°F
- Early October (1st–15th)
- 72%
- Late October (16th–end)
- 70%
- Rain frequency
- 2% of days
Santa Barbara
CA
- Clear days, October
- 81%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 80°F
- Early October (1st–15th)
- 82%
- Late October (16th–end)
- 81%
- Rain frequency
- 5% of days
Compare San Luis Obispo vs Santa Barbara in another month
All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.