Bakersfield climate
Bakersfield (California, United States) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C69 °F, and about 204 mm8.0 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Bakersfield climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1865 | 644 | 1254 | 381.5 |
| Feb | 1966 | 744 | 1355 | 331.3 |
| Mar | 2272 | 947 | 1560 | 311.2 |
| Apr | 2577 | 1051 | 1864 | 210.8 |
| May | 3086 | 1457 | 2272 | 80.3 |
| Jun | 3697 | 1865 | 2781 | 10.0 |
| Jul | 40103 | 2272 | 3188 | 20.1 |
| Aug | 39102 | 2170 | 3086 | 10.0 |
| Sep | 3697 | 1966 | 2882 | 20.1 |
| Oct | 2984 | 1458 | 2271 | 90.4 |
| Nov | 2373 | 949 | 1661 | 180.7 |
| Dec | 1864 | 643 | 1253 | 401.6 |
| Year | 40103 | 643 | 2169 | 2048.0 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61% | 56% | 2.7 | 10:01 |
| Feb | 63% | 46% | 3.8 | 10:51 |
| Mar | 62% | 42% | 5.2 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 57% | 36% | 6.6 | 13:02 |
| May | 47% | 25% | 7.8 | 14:01 |
| Jun | 34% | 13% | 8.5 | 14:32 |
| Jul | 29% | 14% | 8.1 | 14:19 |
| Aug | 29% | 12% | 7.5 | 13:29 |
| Sep | 32% | 13% | 6.3 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 41% | 25% | 4.7 | 11:13 |
| Nov | 50% | 40% | 3.3 | 10:15 |
| Dec | 60% | 52% | 2.5 | 9:47 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Bakersfield is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 40 °C103 °F and a low of 22 °C72 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 18 °C64 °F and lows 6 °C43 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 19 °C34.2 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 204 mm8.0 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 55% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–November. The wettest month is December (40 mm1.6 in), the driest is August (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 29% in August to 63% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 12%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in October to 8 km/h (5 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June.
Best time to visit Bakersfield
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January–April and October and November. Average highs then reach 18 °C65 °F to 29 °C84 °F. Precipitation is 9 mm0.4 in to 38 mm1.5 in per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 40 °C103 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Bakersfield
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1864 to 19 °C66 °F, lows 643 to 7 °C44 °F, about 37 mm1.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2272 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 947 to 14 °C57 °F, about 20 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3697 to 40 °C103 °F, lows 1865 to 22 °C72 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2373 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 949 to 19 °C66 °F, about 10 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Bakersfield compares
The nearest larger place is Los Angeles, about 163 km to the southeast. Compared with it, Bakersfield is on average 1.2 °C2.1 °F warmer. It receives 38% less precipitation (204 mm8.0 in vs 331 mm13 in). The difference is largest in July (5.4 °C9.8 °F warmer).
World Climates covers 222 places in the United States. By annual mean temperature, Bakersfield is the 28th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 218th wettest. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Beersheba (Israel, BSh), Ar Ramtha (Jordan, BSh) and Nicosia (Cyprus, BSh).
Nearby places
- Climate in Visalia 109 km · 20 °C68 °F · 422 mm17 in
- Climate in Lancaster 110 km · 17 °C63 °F · 286 mm11 in
- Climate in Santa Clarita 117 km · 19 °C66 °F · 341 mm13 in
- Climate in Oxnard 132 km · 17 °C62 °F · 424 mm17 in
- Climate in Thousand Oaks 135 km · 17 °C62 °F · 402 mm16 in
- Climate in Santa Maria 137 km · 16 °C61 °F · 399 mm16 in
- Climate in Los Angeles 163 km · 19 °C67 °F · 331 mm13 in
- Climate in Fresno 167 km · 19 °C66 °F · 297 mm12 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Bakersfield?
July is the warmest month in Bakersfield. Its average high is 40 °C (103 °F) and its average low is 22 °C (72 °F).
What is the coldest month in Bakersfield?
December is the coldest month. Its average high is 18 °C (64 °F) and its average low is 6 °C (43 °F).
When does it rain the most in Bakersfield?
December is the wettest month with about 40 mm (1.6 in) of precipitation. August is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Bakersfield?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are January–April and October and November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 736 m, while Bakersfield lies at about 123 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +4 °C7.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.