Photo: John Pilge · Public domainBrookdale’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 81°
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 39°.
A year in Brookdale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brookdale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brookdale’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Brookdale 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, 2.2 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brookdale’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 40 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Brookdale
78% 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 Ben Lomond #4, CA.
Living with Brookdale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
231 frost-free days in zone 9a. 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: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brookdale from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brookdale and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Brookdale in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Brookdale averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in August (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Brookdale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brookdale’s place among California’s.
Brookdale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brookdale’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 39° | 8.4" | 46° – 55° |
| February | 61° | 40° | 7.8" | 47° – 56° |
| March | 64° | 42° | 6.1" | 48° – 59° |
| April | 67° | 43° | 2.7" | 51° – 59° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 1.1" | 54° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 49° | 0.3" | 59° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 52° | 0.0" | 63° – 70° |
| August | 82° | 53° | 0.0" | 64° – 72° |
| September | 81° | 51° | 0.1" | 62° – 71° |
| October | 75° | 47° | 1.7" | 58° – 67° |
| November | 66° | 42° | 4.0" | 47° – 57° |
| December | 59° | 39° | 8.2" | 45° – 52° |
| Year | 70° | 45° | 40.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Brookdale’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 Brookdale’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ben Lomond #4, CA, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 420 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 Brookdale’s climate
What is the weather like in Brookdale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 39°. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brookdale in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 37 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How hot does it get in Brookdale?
July, with a typical high of 81° 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 Brookdale?
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 Brookdale 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 Brookdale?
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 Brookdale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brookdale.
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.