Southern California Coast Flying Weather
CA · 2006–2025 · 25 eligible airports
Dominated by the Pacific marine layer: late-night through mid-morning stratus and fog bring frequent IFR/MVFR conditions to coastal airports, especially in late spring and early summer ('May Gray/June Gloom'), typically burning off to afternoon VFR. Winds are usually light onshore sea breezes, but fall and winter Santa Ana events bring strong, gusty offshore winds with severe turbulence and wind shear near the passes and foothills. Winter Pacific storms deliver most of the rain and low ceilings; thunderstorms are rare in any season. Fall generally offers the best flying (weak marine layer, pre-storm season); the worst windows are deep marine-layer mornings and winter frontal passages.
- Daylight VFR
- 79.2%
- VFR days/yr
- 284
- Mean wind
- 4.9 kt
- Most VFR month
- January
- Fewest VFR month
- June
- VFR Score
- 52
Regional standouts
VFR conditions by month
Regional average across eligible airports
| Month | VFR % |
|---|---|
| Jan | 83.8% |
| Feb | 81.1% |
| Mar | 78.9% |
| Apr | 76.4% |
| May | 64.7% |
| Jun | 61.4% |
| Jul | 70.5% |
| Aug | 74.1% |
| Sep | 75.2% |
| Oct | 78.4% |
| Nov | 82.0% |
| Dec | 80.8% |
Average wind by month
Regional average sustained wind
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 4.4 kt |
| Feb | 4.8 kt |
| Mar | 5.2 kt |
| Apr | 5.6 kt |
| May | 5.8 kt |
| Jun | 5.5 kt |
| Jul | 5.2 kt |
| Aug | 4.9 kt |
| Sep | 4.6 kt |
| Oct | 4.3 kt |
| Nov | 4.1 kt |
| Dec | 4.2 kt |
Every airport in Southern California Coast, ranked
Sort by any column. Best VFR Score first.
| KNRSNaval Outlying Field Imperial Beach (Ream Field) | Imperial Beach | 66.4 | 8.3 | 254 | 6 kt | 29 |
| KOKBOceanside Municipal Airport | Oceanside | 63.7 | 9.4 | 245 | 3 kt | 31 |
| KCRQMcClellan-Palomar Airport | Carlsbad | 67.0 | 11.9 | 245 | 3 kt | 36 |
| KOXROxnard Airport | Oxnard | 73.1 | 13.8 | 260 | 5 kt | 37 |
| KSANSan Diego International Airport | San Diego | 68.0 | 6.0 | 268 | 5 kt | 39 |
| KAVXCatalina Airport | Avalon | 71.0 | 23.1 | 245 | 5 kt | 40 |
| KLPCLompoc Airport | Lompoc | 66.0 | 20.4 | 272 | 5 kt | 41 |
| KLAXLos Angeles International Airport | Los Angeles | 74.2 | 8.7 | 275 | 6 kt | 44 |
| KSMXSanta Maria Public Airport Captain G Allan Hancock Field | Santa Maria | 68.8 | 18.7 | 292 | 4 kt | 44 |
| KMYFMontgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport | San Diego | 70.8 | 9.4 | 281 | 4 kt | 46 |
| KSDMBrown Field Municipal Airport | San Diego | 71.1 | 10.9 | 287 | 4 kt | 48 |
| KHHRJack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport | Hawthorne | 75.2 | 6.5 | 252 | 4 kt | 50 |
| KSMOSanta Monica Municipal Airport | Santa Monica | 74.8 | 10.2 | 279 | 4 kt | 51 |
| KCMACamarillo International Airport | Camarillo | 77.4 | 10.1 | 277 | 4 kt | 51 |
| KLGBLong Beach International Airport | Long Beach | 76.1 | 6.0 | 284 | 4 kt | 52 |
| KSBASanta Barbara Municipal Airport | Santa Barbara | 79.3 | 12.6 | 290 | 4 kt | 53 |
| KSNAJohn Wayne Orange County International Airport | Santa Ana | 76.0 | 5.2 | 294 | 4 kt | 54 |
| KFULFullerton Municipal Airport | Fullerton | 77.6 | 4.1 | 293 | 3 kt | 58 |
| KSBPSan Luis County Regional Airport | San Luis Obispo | 75.7 | 13.8 | 307 | 5 kt | 59 |
| KRNMRamona Airport | Ramona | 77.0 | 11.2 | 310 | 4 kt | 63 |
| KBURHollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport | Burbank | 84.2 | 4.1 | 313 | 4 kt | 68 |
| KAJOCorona Municipal Airport | Corona | 84.8 | 5.3 | 303 | 4 kt | 70 |
| KVNYVan Nuys Airport | Van Nuys | 85.6 | 4.2 | 318 | 4 kt | 72 |
| KPRBPaso Robles Municipal Airport | Paso Robles | 87.1 | 6.9 | 317 | 4 kt | 75 |
| KPMDPalmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport | Palmdale | 98.2 | 0.4 | 349 | 7 kt | 92 |
The pattern in Southern California Coast
Across 2006–2025, the 25 eligible airports in Southern California Coast reported VFR conditions during about 79.2% of valid daytime observations, with an estimated 284 VFR flying days per year and a mean surface wind of 4.9 kt. KPMD (Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport) had the most VFR weather at 98.3%. KAVX saw the most instrument conditions, at 23.1% IFR/LIFR. The lowest-ranked eligible field by VFR Score was KNRS (Naval Outlying Field Imperial Beach (Ream Field)).
How Southern California Coast is defined
CA counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego. (Coastal Southern California from the Monterey County line south to the Mexican border; all other CA counties belong to southern-california-inland, california-central-valley, or northern-california.)
Educational use only. Historical weather rankings from ATIS Alerts are educational summaries of past observations — not a forecast, flight-planning tool, or safety rating. They do not replace current METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs, ATIS, or a weather briefing, and favorable history does not make any airport safe. Always check current conditions and use your own judgment before flight.