Photo: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia · Public domainBrea’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 47°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Brea at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brea’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brea’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Brea feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Anaheim, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brea’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 34°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 14 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 32 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Whittier City Yard Fc106c, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Brea
30% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Anaheim, CA.
Living with Brea’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 77, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. 22 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brea from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (69%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brea and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Brea in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Brea’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brea, CA | 47° | 88° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Ewa Beach, HI | 62° | 87° | 17" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
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 Brea averaged 2.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in all but 73 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 Brea compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brea’s place among California’s.
Brea weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brea’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Whittier City Yard Fc106c, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69° | 47° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| February | 68° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 67° |
| March | 71° | 49° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| April | 74° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| July | 88° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| August | 89° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| September | 88° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| October | 81° | 57° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| November | 74° | 51° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| December | 68° | 46° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| Year | 77° | 54° | 13.7" | 0.0" | 32 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 67°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Brea’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 Brea’s center.
- Snow: Whittier City Yard Fc106c, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Anaheim, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Brea’s climate
What is the weather like in Brea?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 47°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brea in winter?
December nights average 46°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.1 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 53°.
How much snow does Brea get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Whittier City Yard Fc106c, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Brea?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 63°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Anaheim, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Brea?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 1% of winters at Anaheim, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Brea in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 34°.
What is the best time of year to visit Brea?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Brea getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 73 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brea.
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.