Corte Madera’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 71°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Corte Madera at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Corte Madera’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Corte Madera’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Corte Madera 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 Richmond, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Corte Madera’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 32 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 96 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Muir Woods, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Corte Madera
92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Richmond, CA.
Living with Corte Madera’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 5, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Corte Madera from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Corte Madera and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Corte Madera in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Corte Madera’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corte Madera, CA | 44° | 71° | 32" | 0.0" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Scappoose, OR | 34° | 81° | 41" | 0.8" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Corte Madera averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Corte Madera compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Corte Madera’s place among California’s.
Corte Madera weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Corte Madera’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Muir Woods, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 44° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 47° – 54° |
| February | 59° | 45° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| March | 61° | 46° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| April | 63° | 48° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| May | 66° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| June | 70° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| July | 71° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| August | 72° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| September | 73° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 70° | 52° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| November | 62° | 48° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 44° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| Year | 65° | 49° | 31.8" | 0.0" | 96 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Corte Madera’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 Corte Madera’s center.
- Snow: Muir Woods, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Richmond, CA, 7 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 Corte Madera’s climate
What is the weather like in Corte Madera?
A typical July afternoon reaches 71°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 93 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Corte Madera in winter?
January nights average 44°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.3 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Corte Madera get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Muir Woods, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Corte Madera?
July, with a typical high of 71° and a low of 54°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Richmond, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Corte Madera?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 22% of winters at Richmond, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Corte Madera in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Corte Madera?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), 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 Corte Madera getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Corte Madera.
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.