Photo: Elaine with Grey Cats from Mountain View, CA, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0July in Ben Lomond stays fresher than in 95% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 40°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from March to November, with highs of 63–81°.
A year in Ben Lomond at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ben Lomond’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ben Lomond’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Ben Lomond feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 310 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 2 and the first by December 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Los Gatos, CA, 13 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ben Lomond’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 43 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 65 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Santa Cruz, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ben Lomond
80% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Los Gatos, CA.
Living with Ben Lomond’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
310 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 2 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 20 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ben Lomond from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ben Lomond and its neighbors
Lompico has the coldest January nights next door (39°, 2° colder) and Lompico the hottest July afternoons (81°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ben Lomond’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Wollochet, WA | 36° | 77° | 43" | 0.3" |
| Scappoose, OR | 34° | 81° | 41" | 0.8" |
| Swannanoa, NC | 27° | 83° | 48" | 2.1" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Ben Lomond averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Ben Lomond compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ben Lomond’s place among California’s.
Ben Lomond weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ben Lomond’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Cruz, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 40° | 8.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| February | 60° | 41° | 8.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| March | 63° | 41° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| April | 65° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| May | 70° | 46° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 49° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| July | 79° | 52° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| August | 81° | 53° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 80° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 74° | 49° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| November | 65° | 43° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 59° | 40° | 8.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 53° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 42.6" | 0.0" | 65 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 58°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ben Lomond’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 Ben Lomond’s center.
- Snow: Santa Cruz, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Los Gatos, CA, 13 miles from the town’s center, 250 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 Ben Lomond’s climate
What is the weather like in Ben Lomond?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ben Lomond in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 13 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Ben Lomond get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Santa Cruz, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ben Lomond?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 52°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Los Gatos, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Ben Lomond?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 2 and the first fall frost by December 6, about 310 frost-free days, at Los Gatos, CA.
What growing zone is Ben Lomond in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ben Lomond?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ben Lomond getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ben Lomond.
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.