Nicholas Carriger Estate · Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0El Verano’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in El Verano at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about El Verano’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with El Verano’s place in California beside it.
What a year in El Verano feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 270 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 2 and the first by November 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sonoma, CA, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts El Verano’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 28 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 68 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Sonoma, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in El Verano
83% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sonoma, CA.
Living with El Verano’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
270 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 2 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in El Verano from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →El Verano and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of El Verano in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like El Verano’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 Verano, CA | 38° | 83° | 28" | 0.0" |
| Winston, OR | 37° | 86° | 33" | 0.0" |
| Felida, WA | 35° | 81° | 42" | 0.8" |
| Rockport, TX | 48° | 91° | 35" | 0.3" |
| Kill Devil Hills, NC | 35° | 86° | 50" | 1.1" |
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 El Verano averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.0°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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 Verano compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with El Verano’s place among California’s.
El Verano weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at El Verano’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sonoma, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 38° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 51° |
| February | 61° | 40° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| March | 65° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| April | 69° | 44° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 48° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 68° |
| July | 83° | 53° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| August | 84° | 53° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 83° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| October | 76° | 47° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| November | 65° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 57° | 38° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| Year | 71° | 45° | 28.3" | 0.0" | 68 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 66°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where El Verano’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 Verano’s center.
- Snow: Sonoma, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sonoma, CA, 1.6 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 Verano’s climate
What is the weather like in El Verano?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in El Verano in winter?
January nights average 38°. About 21 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does El Verano get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Sonoma, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in El Verano?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 53°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Sonoma, CA).
When is the first and last frost in El Verano?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 2 and the first fall frost by November 27, about 270 frost-free days, at Sonoma, CA.
What growing zone is El Verano in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit El Verano?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is El Verano getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in El Verano.
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.