Anacapa Island Light Station (Boundary Increase) · Photo: United States Coast Guard · Public domainFew U.S. towns have cooler summers than Channel Islands Beach
On a normal January night the air cools to about 48°. Only 25° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 95% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from January to December, with highs of 63–72°.
A year in Channel Islands Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Channel Islands Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Channel Islands Beach’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Channel Islands Beach 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 Oxnard Ventura Co Airport, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Channel Islands Beach’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 37°. 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 40 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Ventura, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Channel Islands Beach
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 Oxnard Ventura Co Airport.
Living with Channel Islands Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 71, 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. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Channel Islands Beach from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Channel Islands Beach and its neighbors
Oxnard has the coldest January nights next door (46°, 1° colder) and Oxnard the hottest July afternoons (73°, 3° 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 Channel Islands Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Islands Beach, CA | 48° | 70° | 14" | 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 Channel Islands Beach averaged 2.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in all but 18 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 Channel Islands Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Channel Islands Beach’s place among California’s.
Channel Islands Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Channel Islands Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ventura, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| February | 63° | 48° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| March | 64° | 49° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| April | 66° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| May | 66° | 54° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 68° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| July | 70° | 60° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| August | 72° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 72° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| October | 71° | 56° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| November | 68° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| December | 64° | 47° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| Year | 67° | 53° | 13.5" | 0.0" | 40 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 63°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Channel Islands Beach’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 Channel Islands Beach’s center.
- Snow: Ventura, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oxnard Ventura Co Airport, 2.5 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 Channel Islands Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Channel Islands Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, 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 83 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Channel Islands Beach in winter?
December nights average 47°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.3 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 53°.
How much snow does Channel Islands Beach get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Ventura, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Channel Islands Beach?
July, with a typical high of 70° and a low of 60°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Oxnard Ventura Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Channel Islands Beach?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 1% of winters at Oxnard Ventura Co Airport, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Channel Islands Beach in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 37°.
What is the best time of year to visit Channel Islands Beach?
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 Channel Islands Beach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 18 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Channel Islands Beach.
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.