Photo: CharlieM1021 · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than El Modena: 13 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 87°. The wettest month is February; the driest is August. In January, nights here are milder than in 95% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from October to June, the months with highs of 68–81°.
A year in El Modena at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about El Modena’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with El Modena’s place in California beside it.
What a year in El Modena 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 Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts El Modena’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 35°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
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 Anaheim, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in El Modena
41% 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 Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA.
Living with El Modena’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 40, 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, October, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in El Modena from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →El Modena and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around El Modena yet.
Climates most like El Modena’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 Modena, CA | 47° | 87° | 13" | 0.0" |
| Ewa Beach, HI | 62° | 87° | 17" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
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 El Modena averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
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 Modena compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with El Modena’s place among California’s.
El Modena weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at El Modena’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Anaheim, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69° | 47° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| February | 69° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| March | 71° | 49° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| April | 74° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 76° | 56° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 87° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| August | 88° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| September | 87° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 81° | 57° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| November | 75° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| December | 68° | 46° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| Year | 77° | 54° | 12.7" | 0.0" | 35 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where El Modena’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 Modena’s center.
- Snow: Anaheim, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 El Modena’s climate
What is the weather like in El Modena?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 47°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in El Modena in winter?
December nights average 46°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.1 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 54°.
How much snow does El Modena get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Anaheim, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in El Modena?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 63°. About 30 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA).
When is the first and last frost in El Modena?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 3% of winters at Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is El Modena in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 35°.
What is the best time of year to visit El Modena?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is El Modena 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 Modena.
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.