Photo: David Balmer · CC BY 3.0Carmel Valley Village sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
January nights here settle around 40°. Temperatures cover 39° across the year, low to high. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 89% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from January to November, with highs of 63–79°.
A year in Carmel Valley Village at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carmel Valley Village’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carmel Valley Village’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Carmel Valley Village feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 294 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 20 and the first by December 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Carmel Valley, CA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 480 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carmel Valley Village’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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 24 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 60 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at San Clemente Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Carmel Valley Village
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Carmel Valley, CA.
Living with Carmel Valley Village’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
294 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 45 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carmel Valley Village from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carmel Valley Village and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Carmel Valley Village yet.
Climates most like Carmel Valley Village’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmel Valley Village, CA | 40° | 78° | 24" | 0.0" |
| Poulsbo, WA | 35° | 75° | 33" | 3.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Tualatin, OR | 36° | 81° | 40" | 1.0" |
| Hayden, ID | 25° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
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 Carmel Valley Village averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 Carmel Valley Village compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carmel Valley Village’s place among California’s.
Carmel Valley Village weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carmel Valley Village’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from San Clemente Dam, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 40° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| February | 63° | 41° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| March | 65° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| April | 67° | 44° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| July | 78° | 53° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| August | 79° | 53° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 79° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 76° | 48° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| November | 67° | 43° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| December | 62° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| Year | 70° | 46° | 23.7" | 0.0" | 60 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Carmel Valley Village’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 Carmel Valley Village’s center.
- Snow: San Clemente Dam, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carmel Valley, CA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 480 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 Carmel Valley Village’s climate
What is the weather like in Carmel Valley Village?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carmel Valley Village in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Carmel Valley Village get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at San Clemente Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Carmel Valley Village?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 53°. About 20 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Carmel Valley, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Carmel Valley Village?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 20 and the first fall frost by December 8, about 294 frost-free days, at Carmel Valley, CA.
What growing zone is Carmel Valley Village in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Carmel Valley Village?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, 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 Carmel Valley Village getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carmel Valley Village.
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.