USCGC STORIS (cutter) · Photo: United States Coast Guard, PA1 Kurt Fredrickson · Public domainPrecipitation in Benicia trails that of 89% of U.S. towns: 20 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 84°. January is the wettest month, July the driest. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 88% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from December to January, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Benicia at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Benicia’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Benicia’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Benicia feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Vallejo, CA, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Benicia’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 27°. 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 20 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 68 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Napa State Hospital, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Benicia
71% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Vallejo, CA.
Living with Benicia’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. Frost comes about 7 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Benicia from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (72%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Benicia and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Benicia yet.
Climates most like Benicia’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benicia, CA | 40° | 84° | 20" | 0.0" |
| Green, OR | 37° | 86° | 32" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| College Place, WA | 30° | 91° | 15" | 7.2" |
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 Benicia averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Benicia compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Benicia’s place among California’s.
Benicia weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Benicia’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Napa State Hospital, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| February | 61° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| March | 66° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| April | 69° | 46° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| July | 84° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 84° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 82° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 76° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 65° | 44° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 57° | 40° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 52° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 20.3" | 0.0" | 68 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 68°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Benicia’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 Benicia’s center.
- Snow: Napa State Hospital, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Vallejo, CA, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft higher; 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 Benicia’s climate
What is the weather like in Benicia?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Benicia in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 5 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Benicia get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Napa State Hospital, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Benicia?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 55°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Vallejo, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Benicia?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 75% of winters at Vallejo, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Benicia in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Benicia?
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 Benicia getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Benicia.
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.