Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Intersofia assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Del Mar
Nights in January average 48°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 97% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Long walks are most pleasant from January to December, when afternoons reach 65–76°.
A year in Del Mar at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Del Mar’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Del Mar’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Del Mar feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Day counts come from NOAA’s station at San Diego Miramar Nas, CA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Carlsbad Palomar Airport, 11 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Del Mar’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 38°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 10 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 42 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at North Island Nas, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Del Mar
71% 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 Carlsbad Palomar Airport.
Living with Del Mar’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 77, 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. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Del Mar from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Del Mar and its neighbors
San Diego has the coldest January nights next door (45°, 3° colder) and San Diego the hottest July afternoons (80°, 7° 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 Del Mar’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Del Mar, CA | 48° | 73° | 10" | 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 Del Mar averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
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 Del Mar compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Del Mar’s place among California’s.
Del Mar weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Del Mar’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from North Island Nas, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 48° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| February | 65° | 49° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| March | 66° | 51° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| April | 67° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 68° | 58° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| June | 70° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 73° | 65° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 76° | 66° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 64° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 73° | 59° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 70° | 52° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| December | 65° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 60° |
| Year | 69° | 56° | 10.4" | 0.0" | 42 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 65°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Del Mar’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 Del Mar’s center.
- Snow: North Island Nas, CA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Carlsbad Palomar Airport, 11 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: San Diego Miramar Nas, CA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 430 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 Del Mar’s climate
What is the weather like in Del Mar?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, 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 all but 145 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Del Mar in winter?
December nights average 48°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.3 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 54°.
How much snow does Del Mar get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at North Island Nas, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Del Mar?
July, with a typical high of 73° and a low of 65°. About 20 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Carlsbad Palomar Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Del Mar?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 1% of winters at Carlsbad Palomar Airport, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Del Mar in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 38°.
What is the best time of year to visit Del Mar?
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 Del Mar 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 Del Mar.
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.