Photo: Binksternet · Public domainPrecipitation in Fort Hunter Liggett trails that of 89% of U.S. towns: 22 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 87°. A year here swings 52° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its January nights stay gentler than in 84% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about February 23, with the first autumn frost due around November 22.
A year in Fort Hunter Liggett at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Hunter Liggett’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Hunter Liggett’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Fort Hunter Liggett feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 271 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 23 and the first by November 22. Frost and day counts come from King City, CA, 16 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Hunter Liggett’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 22°. 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
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 51 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at King City, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Hunter Liggett
80% 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 King City, CA.
Living with Fort Hunter Liggett’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
271 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 23 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June and October. 5.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Hunter Liggett from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Hunter Liggett and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fort Hunter Liggett yet.
Climates most like Fort Hunter Liggett’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Hunter Liggett, CA | 37° | 87° | 22" | 0.0" |
| Green, OR | 37° | 86° | 32" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| 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 Fort Hunter Liggett averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Fort Hunter Liggett compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Hunter Liggett’s place among California’s.
Fort Hunter Liggett weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Hunter Liggett’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from King City, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 37° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| February | 64° | 38° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 41° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| May | 77° | 44° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 83° | 47° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 87° | 51° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 88° | 50° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 86° | 48° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| October | 79° | 44° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 69° | 39° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 62° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 52° |
| Year | 75° | 43° | 21.5" | 0.0" | 51 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 59°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Fort Hunter Liggett’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 Fort Hunter Liggett’s center.
- Snow: King City, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: King City, CA, 16 miles from the town’s center, 740 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 Fort Hunter Liggett’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Hunter Liggett?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Hunter Liggett in winter?
December nights average 36°. About 27 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Fort Hunter Liggett get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at King City, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Fort Hunter Liggett?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 51°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (King City, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Hunter Liggett?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 23 and the first fall frost by November 22, about 271 frost-free days, at King City, CA.
What growing zone is Fort Hunter Liggett in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Hunter Liggett?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fort Hunter Liggett getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Hunter Liggett.
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.