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Todos Santos Plaza (Concord, California) Dec 2009Photo: Geraoma · Public domain
Climate in Concord · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Concord’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of.

Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns#437Mildest winters  of 757 in CA
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns#478 driest of 757 in CA
All CA rankings →

A year in Concord at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan56°39° Wettest
Feb61°42°
Mar66°44°
Apr70°46° 1 day 90°+
May77°50° 3 days 90°+
Jun84°55° 8 days 90°+
Jul87°57° 12 days 90°+
Aug87°57° 12 days 90°+
Sep85°55° 9 days 90°+
Oct77°51° 2 days 90°+
Nov now65°44°
Dec57°39°

What stands out about Concord’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Concord’s place in California beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Concord feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
58° / 40°
Snow is rare
Spring
71° / 47°
Frost is rare
Summer
86° / 56°
51 days reach 90°
Fall
76° / 50°
Frost is rare
Best months to be outsideMarAprMayJunOctNovHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

A freeze most winters

Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Concord Buchanan Fld, CA, 3 miles from the city’s center point, 140 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Concord Wwtp, CA, 4 miles away.

Most winters bring a freeze, but not every one. A night at 32° or below comes in about 80% of years at Concord Wwtp, CA (about 8 winters in 10), and averages 8.5 a year.
9
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
385th fewest of 751 in California
Fewer freezing nights than 91% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
51
days that reach 90°
459th most of 751 in California
More 90° days than 76% of U.S. towns
9
days that reach 100°
406th most of 751 in California
More 100° days than 90% of U.S. towns
9bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 9b

The 2023 USDA map puts Concord’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

2
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

12
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 19 inches of rain a year

January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 56 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Concord Wwtp, CA, so most winters see none.

19"
Rain + melted snow a year
478th driest of 757 in California
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns
0.0"
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 93% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

3.8"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Concord

65% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.

2,029 heating degree daysLess heating than 87% of U.S. towns
1,084 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 59% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Concord Wwtp, CA.

Living here

Living with Concord’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

Zone 9b. Frost comes about 8 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, June, October and November. 65 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Concord from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Concord and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Concord in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Reliez Valley: January low 40°, July high 85°Pacheco: January low 39°, July high 86°Martinez: January low 39°, July high 85°Contra Costa Centre: January low 39°, July high 87°Saranap: January low 39°, July high 86°Acalanes Ridge: January low 39°, July high 86°North Gate: January low 40°, July high 86°Alamo: January low 39°, July high 86°Lafayette: January low 39°, July high 85°Castle Hill: January low 40°, July high 84°Pittsburg: January low 39°, July high 89°Pleasant Hill: January low 39°, July high 87°Clayton: January low 40°, July high 87°Walnut Creek: January low 39°, July high 87°Bay Point: January low 39°, July high 88°Clyde: January low 39°, July high 87°Concord: January low 39°, July high 87°ConcordPleasant HillClaytonWalnut CreekBay PointClyde
ColderMilder39° to 40°
Walnut Creek39.0° about the same
Clyde39.1° about the same
Pleasant Hill39.2° about the same
Concord39.3°
Bay Point39.4° about the same
Clayton39.9° about the same

Climates most like Concord’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Concord, CA39°87°19"0.0"
Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ32°91°15"0.7"
Ashland, OR31°91°19"0.5"
Alpine, TX30°90°15"2.2"
College Place, WA30°91°15"7.2"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Concord averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).

+1.6°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 65% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.5°now 49°, was 48°
Spring+1.5°now 59°, was 57°
Summer+1.8°now 71°, was 69°
Fall+1.6°now 63°, was 61°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

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 123,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).

Compared with other towns

How Concord compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Concord’s place among California’s.

Summer heat87° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns441st hottest of 757 in California
Winter cold39° January low
Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns437th mildest of 757 in California
Precipitation19" a year
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns478th driest of 757 in California
Snow0.0" a winter
Less snow than 93% of U.S. townsNot ranked: under an inch a year
Hot days51 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 76% of U.S. towns459th most of 751 in California
Freezing nights9 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 91% of U.S. towns385th fewest of 751 in California
Month by month

Concord weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Concord’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Concord Wwtp, CA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January56°39°3.8"0.0"10045° – 55°
February61°42°3.5"0.0"10046° – 57°
March66°44°2.8"0.0"8049° – 61°
April70°46°1.3"0.0"5053° – 62°
May77°50°0.6"0.0"3057° – 70°
June84°55°0.1"0.0"1064° – 72°
July87°57°0.0"0.0"0069° – 76°
August87°57°0.0"0.0"0068° – 76°
September85°55°0.1"0.0"1066° – 74°
October77°51°0.9"0.0"3060° – 71°
November65°44°1.9"0.0"6048° – 59°
December57°39°3.8"0.0"9044° – 51°
Year73°48°18.6"0.0"560
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 70°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Concord’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 Concord’s center.
  • Snow: Concord Wwtp, CA.
  • Frost dates, heating and cooling: Concord Wwtp, CA, 4 miles away.
  • Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Concord Buchanan Fld, CA, 3 miles from the city’s center point, 140 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 Concord’s climate

What is the weather like in Concord?

A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Concord in winter?

December nights average 39°. About 9 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.

How much snow does Concord get?

About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Concord Wwtp, CA, so most winters see none.

How hot does it get in Concord?

July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 57°. About 51 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Concord Wwtp, CA).

When is the first and last frost in Concord?

There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 80% of winters at Concord Wwtp, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.

What growing zone is Concord in?

Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.

What is the best time of year to visit Concord?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, June, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Concord getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Concord.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.