Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Fountain Valley is among the driest of U.S. towns: 12 inches of precipitation a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 82°. Only 37° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 95% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from January to December, the months with highs of 69–84°.
A year in Fountain Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fountain Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fountain Valley’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Fountain Valley 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 city’s center point, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fountain Valley’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 36°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 12 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 Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fountain Valley
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 Fountain Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. 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, July, August, September, October, November and December. 9.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fountain Valley from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fountain Valley and its neighbors
Santa Ana the hottest July afternoons (83°, 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 Fountain Valley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain Valley, CA | 47° | 82° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
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 Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fountain Valley’s place among California’s.
Fountain Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fountain Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69° | 47° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| February | 69° | 48° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| March | 70° | 51° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| April | 73° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| May | 74° | 57° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| June | 77° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 82° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 84° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| September | 83° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 79° | 58° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| November | 74° | 51° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| December | 69° | 47° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| Year | 75° | 55° | 12.1" | 0.0" | 35 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 67°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Fountain Valley’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 Fountain Valley’s center.
- Snow: Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 100 ft higher; 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 Fountain Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Fountain Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 47°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fountain Valley in winter?
December nights average 47°. 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 55°.
How much snow does Fountain Valley get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Fountain Valley?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 64°. About 30 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Fountain Valley?
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 Fountain Valley in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 36°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fountain Valley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley.
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.