El Cerrito reaches 100° on about 22 days a year, more than 96% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 43° on average. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 51°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 96% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from October to May, when highs sit at 68–82°.
A year in El Cerrito at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about El Cerrito’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with El Cerrito’s place in California beside it.
What a year in El Cerrito feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 22 days a year reach 100°
And 101 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Riverside Muni Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts El Cerrito’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. 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 12 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 28 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Riverside Fire Stn 3, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in El Cerrito
43% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. 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 Riverside Muni Airport.
Living with El Cerrito’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 6 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 22 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, May, October, November and December. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in El Cerrito from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →El Cerrito and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of El Cerrito in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like El Cerrito’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito, CA | 43° | 91° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | 32° | 91° | 14" | 0.4" |
| Fort Stockton, TX | 33° | 96° | 13" | 1.4" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
| Santa Teresa, NM | 33° | 95° | 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 El Cerrito averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 97% 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 El Cerrito compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with El Cerrito’s place among California’s.
El Cerrito weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at El Cerrito’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Riverside Fire Stn 3, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 43° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| February | 68° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 66° |
| March | 71° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| April | 75° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 79° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 57° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| July | 91° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| August | 93° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| September | 90° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 82° | 54° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 75° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| December | 68° | 43° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| Year | 79° | 51° | 12.0" | 0.0" | 28 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where El Cerrito’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 El Cerrito’s center.
- Snow: Riverside Fire Stn 3, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Riverside Muni Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 El Cerrito’s climate
What is the weather like in El Cerrito?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in El Cerrito in winter?
December nights average 43°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does El Cerrito get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Riverside Fire Stn 3, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in El Cerrito?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 61°. About 101 days a year reach 90° and 22 reach 100° (Riverside Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in El Cerrito?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 58% of winters at Riverside Muni Airport, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is El Cerrito in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
What is the best time of year to visit El Cerrito?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is El Cerrito getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in El Cerrito.
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.