Photo: Seauton · CC BY-SA 4.0Descanso is drier than 88% of U.S. towns: 22 inches of precipitation a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 90°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 82% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.0° higher. Radiators earn their keep from December to February, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Descanso at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Descanso’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Descanso’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Descanso feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 248 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 27 and the first by December 1. Frost and day counts come from Julian Cdf, CA, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Descanso’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 22 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 38 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Ramona Fire Dept, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Descanso
79% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Julian Cdf, CA.
Living with Descanso’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
248 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 27 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and October. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Descanso from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (89%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Descanso and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Descanso yet.
Climates most like Descanso’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descanso, CA | 36° | 90° | 22" | 0.0" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Fredericksburg, TX | 35° | 94° | 30" | 0.2" |
| College Place, WA | 30° | 91° | 15" | 7.2" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Descanso averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Descanso compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Descanso’s place among California’s.
Descanso weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Descanso’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ramona Fire Dept, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 36° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| February | 59° | 36° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| March | 63° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| April | 67° | 39° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 44° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 83° | 49° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 90° | 56° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| August | 91° | 57° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| September | 86° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 76° | 46° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| November | 67° | 40° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| December | 59° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| Year | 73° | 44° | 22.4" | 0.0" | 38 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 55°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Descanso’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 Descanso’s center.
- Snow: Ramona Fire Dept, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Julian Cdf, CA, 14 miles from the town’s center, 650 ft higher; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Descanso’s climate
What is the weather like in Descanso?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Descanso in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 37 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Descanso get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Ramona Fire Dept, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Descanso?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 56°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (Julian Cdf, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Descanso?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 27 and the first fall frost by December 1, about 248 frost-free days, at Julian Cdf, CA.
What growing zone is Descanso in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Descanso?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Descanso getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Descanso.
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.