Precipitation in Crest trails that of 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 89°. February is the wettest month, July the driest. In January, nights here are milder than in 90% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from October to June, with highs of 67–83°.
A year in Crest at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Crest’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crest’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Crest feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 270 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 4 and the first by December 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ramona Fire Dept, CA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Crest’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.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 15 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 45 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Lakeside 2 E, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Crest
65% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ramona Fire Dept, CA.
Living with Crest’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
270 frost-free days in zone 10b. The last frost comes by Mar 4 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. 5.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Crest from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Crest and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Crest in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Crest’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crest, CA | 42° | 89° | 15" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Finley, WA | 29° | 91° | 9" | 2.0" |
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 Crest averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Crest compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crest’s place among California’s.
Crest weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crest’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lakeside 2 E, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| February | 67° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| March | 70° | 45° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| April | 73° | 47° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| May | 77° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| June | 83° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 89° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 91° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 79° |
| September | 89° | 59° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| October | 81° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| November | 74° | 46° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| December | 67° | 41° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| Year | 77° | 50° | 14.7" | 0.0" | 45 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 64°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Crest’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 Crest’s center.
- Snow: Lakeside 2 E, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ramona Fire Dept, CA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft higher; 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 Crest’s climate
What is the weather like in Crest?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Crest in winter?
December nights average 41°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Crest get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Lakeside 2 E, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Crest?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 60°. About 75 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Ramona Fire Dept, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Crest?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 4 and the first fall frost by December 4, about 270 frost-free days, at Ramona Fire Dept, CA.
What growing zone is Crest 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 Crest?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Crest getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Crest.
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.