Cabot's Old Indian Pueblo Museum · Photo: Jllm06 · CC0Desert Hot Springs has some of the warmest summer afternoons among U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 42°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on almost every U.S. town. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.0° higher. Long walks are most pleasant from November to April, when afternoons reach 66–82°.
A year in Desert Hot Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Desert Hot Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Desert Hot Springs’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Desert Hot Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 days a year reach 100°
And 183 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from Palm Springs, CA, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Desert Hot Springs’ center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 31°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 7 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 22 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.8" in a normal year at Joshua Tree, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Desert Hot Springs
14% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. 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 Palm Springs, CA.
Living with Desert Hot Springs’ 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 the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 123 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, November and December. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Desert Hot Springs from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Desert Hot Springs and its neighbors
Cathedral City the hottest July afternoons (106°, 1° 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 Desert Hot Springs’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Hot Springs, CA | 42° | 105° | 7" | 0.8" |
| Phoenix, AZ | 42° | 105° | 8" | 0.2" |
| Henderson, NV | 40° | 105° | 5" | 0.2" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 Desert Hot Springs averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Desert Hot Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Desert Hot Springs’ place among California’s.
Desert Hot Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Desert Hot Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Joshua Tree, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 42° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| February | 70° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| March | 76° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| April | 82° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| May | 90° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 81° |
| June | 99° | 66° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 87° |
| July | 105° | 72° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 83° – 92° |
| August | 104° | 72° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 85° – 92° |
| September | 98° | 67° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 79° – 87° |
| October | 87° | 57° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| November | 75° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| December | 66° | 40° | 1.1" | 0.6" | 4 | 1 | 49° – 59° |
| Year | 85° | 56° | 6.8" | 0.8" | 22 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 55° to 69°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Desert Hot Springs’ 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 Desert Hot Springs’ center.
- Snow: Joshua Tree, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Palm Springs, CA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 800 ft lower; 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 Desert Hot Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Desert Hot Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 105°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 78 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Desert Hot Springs in winter?
December nights average 40°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.6 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Desert Hot Springs get?
About 0.8 inches in a normal winter at Joshua Tree, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Desert Hot Springs?
July, with a typical high of 105° and a low of 72°. About 183 days a year reach 90° and 123 reach 100° (Palm Springs, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Desert Hot Springs?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 21% of winters at Palm Springs, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Desert Hot Springs in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Desert Hot Springs?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Desert Hot Springs getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Desert Hot Springs.
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.