Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0Coachella reaches 100° on about 120 days a year, more than all but 23 U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 43°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than almost every U.S. town. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.7°, most of all in January. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly February 7 to December 2.
A year in Coachella at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Coachella’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Coachella’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Coachella feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 298 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 7 and the first by December 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Coachella’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. 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 3 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 15 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Coachella
22% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. 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 Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport.
Living with Coachella’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
298 frost-free days in zone 10a. The last frost comes by Feb 7 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 38 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Coachella from natural hazards, river flooding 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 →Coachella and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Coachella in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Coachella’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coachella, CA | 43° | 107° | 3" | 0.0" |
| Boulder City, NV | 41° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Litchfield Park, AZ | 41° | 106° | 8" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 Coachella averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Coachella compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Coachella’s place among California’s.
Coachella weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Coachella’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71° | 43° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| February | 74° | 47° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| March | 81° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| April | 87° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| May | 95° | 66° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| June | 104° | 73° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 83° – 92° |
| July | 107° | 79° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 89° – 97° |
| August | 107° | 79° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 90° – 96° |
| September | 102° | 73° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 85° – 90° |
| October | 91° | 62° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| November | 78° | 49° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| December | 69° | 42° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| Year | 89° | 60° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 60° to 73°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Coachella’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 Coachella’s center.
- Snow: Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport, 4 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 Coachella’s climate
What is the weather like in Coachella?
A typical July afternoon reaches 107°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 23 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Coachella in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 19 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Coachella get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Coachella?
July, with a typical high of 107° and a low of 79°. About 187 days a year reach 90° and 120 reach 100° (Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Coachella?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 7 and the first fall frost by December 2, about 298 frost-free days, at Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Coachella in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Coachella?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Coachella getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Coachella.
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.