San Diego - Hottest Decades

Ranked here are the hottest decades on record for San Diego, California. The lists include decades when San Diego had the highest average temperatures, and the most hot days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at San Diego's International Airport and cover eight decades, from the 1940s to the 2010s.

That is when San Diego had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Hottest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at San Diego
High °F Decade High °C
Highest 71.5 2010s, 1980s 22.0
Runner-up 70.8 1940s 21.6

Warmest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at San Diego
Low °F Decade Low °C
Highest 59.1 2010s 15.0
Runner-up 58.8 1980s 14.9

Most Warm Days

Total days per year on average when San Diego had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 216 1980s
Runner-up 209 2010s, 1940s

Most Hot Days

Total days per year on average when San Diego had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 5 2010s, 1970s
Runner-up 4 1980s

How Much Hotter are 2010s?

Compared with averages for the previous 50 years (1960 to 2009), the 2010s in San Diego had:

  • 15 more days each year with temperatures of 70 °F and higher
  • 1.1 °F higher daily maximum temperatures (0.6 °C)
  • 1.5 °F higher daily minimum temperatures (0.8 °C)
References

Current Results. 2020. San Diego CA Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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