Photo: Port of San Diego · CC BY 2.0Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Chula Vista: 10 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 80°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 94% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.2° higher. The outdoor season runs from January to December, with highs of 68–83°.
A year in Chula Vista at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chula Vista’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chula Vista’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista, CA, 4 miles from the city’s center point, 280 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chula Vista’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 36°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 10 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 33 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Chula Vista, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Chula Vista
65% 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 Chula Vista, CA.
Living with Chula Vista’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 14, 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. 107 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chula Vista from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chula Vista and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Chula Vista in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Chula Vista’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chula Vista, CA | 45° | 80° | 10" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
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 Chula Vista averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 95% 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. In a city of 276,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Chula Vista compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chula Vista’s place among California’s.
Chula Vista weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chula Vista’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chula Vista, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69° | 45° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| February | 68° | 46° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| March | 69° | 49° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| April | 71° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| May | 72° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| June | 76° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 80° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| September | 82° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 78° | 56° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| November | 73° | 49° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| December | 68° | 45° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| Year | 74° | 54° | 10.0" | 0.0" | 33 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 55° to 65°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Chula Vista’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 Chula Vista’s center.
- Snow: Chula Vista, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chula Vista, CA, 4 miles from the city’s center point, 280 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 Chula Vista’s climate
What is the weather like in Chula Vista?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chula Vista in winter?
December nights average 45°. 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 Chula Vista get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Chula Vista, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Chula Vista?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 62°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Chula Vista, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Chula Vista?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 7% of winters at Chula Vista, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Chula Vista in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 36°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chula Vista?
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 Chula Vista getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chula Vista.
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.