Las Flores Adobe · Photo: donald gomez · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Camp Pendleton South
In January the night’s low is typically 48°. February is the wettest month here, with about 97 times the rain of July. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 96% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from January to December, when highs sit at 65–75°.
A year in Camp Pendleton South at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Camp Pendleton South’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Camp Pendleton South’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Camp Pendleton South 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 Oceanside Marina, CA, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Camp Pendleton South’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 33°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
About 12 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 34 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Oceanside Marina, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Camp Pendleton South
84% of the work is heating. 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 Oceanside Marina, CA.
Living with Camp Pendleton South’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 100, 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, July, August, September, October, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Camp Pendleton South from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Camp Pendleton South and its neighbors
Oceanside has the coldest January nights next door (47°, 1° colder) and Oceanside the hottest July afternoons (78°, 5° 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 Camp Pendleton South’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Pendleton South, CA | 48° | 73° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
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 Camp Pendleton South averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 73% 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 Camp Pendleton South compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Camp Pendleton South’s place among California’s.
Camp Pendleton South weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Camp Pendleton South’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oceanside Marina, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 48° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| February | 65° | 48° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| March | 65° | 51° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| April | 67° | 53° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| May | 68° | 58° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| June | 70° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 73° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 75° | 65° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| September | 75° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 73° | 59° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 70° | 52° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| December | 65° | 47° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 60° |
| Year | 69° | 56° | 11.9" | 0.0" | 34 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 64°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Camp Pendleton South’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 Camp Pendleton South’s center.
- Snow: Oceanside Marina, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oceanside Marina, CA, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Camp Pendleton South’s climate
What is the weather like in Camp Pendleton South?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 145 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Camp Pendleton South in winter?
December nights average 47°. 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 54°.
How much snow does Camp Pendleton South get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Oceanside Marina, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Camp Pendleton South?
July, with a typical high of 73°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Oceanside Marina, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Camp Pendleton South?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 1% of winters at Oceanside Marina, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Camp Pendleton South in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 33°.
What is the best time of year to visit Camp Pendleton South?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Camp Pendleton South getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Camp Pendleton South.
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.