Photo: Don Ramey Logan · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Dana Point
In January the night’s low is typically 48°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 96% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.9° above 1901–2000. For walks and days out, the stretch from January to December brings highs of 65–77°.
A year in Dana Point at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dana Point’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dana Point’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Dana Point 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 Newport Beach Harbor, CA, 14 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dana Point’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.
About 13 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 35 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Newport Beach Harbor, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Dana Point
72% 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 Newport Beach Harbor, CA.
Living with Dana Point’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost almost never comes, 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. 7.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dana Point from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (72%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dana Point and its neighbors
San Juan Capistrano the hottest July afternoons (79°, 5° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Dana Point’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Point, CA | 48° | 75° | 13" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
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 Dana Point averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Dana Point compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dana Point’s place among California’s.
Dana Point weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dana Point’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Newport Beach Harbor, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 48° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| February | 65° | 49° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| March | 66° | 51° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| April | 68° | 53° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| May | 69° | 57° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| June | 71° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| July | 75° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 77° | 65° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 76° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 74° | 59° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 70° | 52° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| December | 65° | 48° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| Year | 70° | 56° | 12.5" | 0.0" | 35 | 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 65°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Dana Point’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 Dana Point’s center.
- Snow: Newport Beach Harbor, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Newport Beach Harbor, CA, 14 miles from the town’s center, 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 Dana Point’s climate
What is the weather like in Dana Point?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dana Point in winter?
December nights average 48°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 53°.
How much snow does Dana Point get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Newport Beach Harbor, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Dana Point?
July, with a typical high of 75°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Newport Beach Harbor, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Dana Point?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Newport Beach Harbor, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Dana Point 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 Dana Point?
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 Dana Point getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dana Point.
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.