Photo: Amin Eshaiker · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Alpine trails that of 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 92°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly February 12 to December 24.
A year in Alpine at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alpine’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alpine’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Alpine feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 317 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 12 and the first by December 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alpine, CA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alpine’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 16 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 45 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Lakeside 2 E, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Alpine
63% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Alpine, CA.
Living with Alpine’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
317 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, October and November. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alpine from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alpine and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alpine yet.
Climates most like Alpine’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine, CA | 40° | 92° | 16" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | 32° | 91° | 14" | 0.4" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
| Big Spring, TX | 33° | 95° | 18" | 2.0" |
| Chaparral, NM | 31° | 95° | 9" | 0.0" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Alpine averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 93% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Alpine compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alpine’s place among California’s.
Alpine weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alpine’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lakeside 2 E, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| February | 66° | 41° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| March | 69° | 43° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| April | 73° | 45° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| June | 86° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 92° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| August | 93° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| September | 90° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| October | 81° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| November | 73° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| December | 66° | 39° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| Year | 78° | 49° | 15.8" | 0.0" | 45 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 63°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Alpine’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Alpine’s center.
- Snow: Lakeside 2 E, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alpine, CA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Alpine’s climate
What is the weather like in Alpine?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alpine in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Alpine get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Lakeside 2 E, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Alpine?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 59°. About 55 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Alpine, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Alpine?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 12 and the first fall frost by December 24, about 317 frost-free days, at Alpine, CA.
What growing zone is Alpine in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alpine?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alpine getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alpine.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.