Bonny Doon sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 41°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 90% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. The heating season runs December to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Bonny Doon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bonny Doon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bonny Doon’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Bonny Doon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 231 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 25 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from Ben Lomond #4, CA, 4 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bonny Doon’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 39 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July 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 Bonny Doon
78% 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 Ben Lomond #4, CA.
Living with Bonny Doon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
231 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 25 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 22 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bonny Doon from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bonny Doon and its neighbors
Felton has the coldest January nights next door (40°, 1° colder) and Ben Lomond the hottest July afternoons (79°, 1° 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 Bonny Doon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonny Doon, CA | 41° | 78° | 39" | 0.0" |
| Wollochet, WA | 36° | 77° | 43" | 0.3" |
| Scappoose, OR | 34° | 81° | 41" | 0.8" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Swannanoa, NC | 27° | 83° | 48" | 2.1" |
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 Bonny Doon 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 Bonny Doon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bonny Doon’s place among California’s.
Bonny Doon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bonny Doon’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 | 58° | 41° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| February | 58° | 41° | 7.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| March | 61° | 41° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 56° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| June | 74° | 48° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| July | 78° | 52° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 79° | 53° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 79° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 64° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 58° | 40° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 52° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 38.8" | 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 46° to 57°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Bonny Doon’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 Bonny Doon’s center.
- Snow: Santa Cruz, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ben Lomond #4, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 940 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Bonny Doon’s climate
What is the weather like in Bonny Doon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bonny Doon in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 37 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Bonny Doon get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Santa Cruz, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bonny Doon?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 52°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Ben Lomond #4, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Bonny Doon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 25 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 231 frost-free days, at Ben Lomond #4, CA.
What growing zone is Bonny Doon 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 Bonny Doon?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), 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 Bonny Doon 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 Bonny Doon.
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.