Photo: CVB · CC BY-SA 4.0Glen Ellen’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Glen Ellen at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Glen Ellen’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Glen Ellen’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Glen Ellen 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, 6 miles from the town’s center, 460 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Glen Ellen’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. 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 40 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 70 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Petaluma Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Glen Ellen
83% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
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 Glen Ellen’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
270 frost-free days in zone 10a. 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: April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 6.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Glen Ellen from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Glen Ellen and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Glen Ellen yet.
Climates most like Glen Ellen’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Ellen, CA | 41° | 82° | 40" | 0.0" |
| Tualatin, OR | 36° | 81° | 40" | 1.0" |
| Felida, WA | 35° | 81° | 42" | 0.8" |
| Kill Devil Hills, NC | 35° | 86° | 50" | 1.1" |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 32° | 87° | 48" | 3.4" |
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 Glen Ellen averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Glen Ellen compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Glen Ellen’s place among California’s.
Glen Ellen weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Glen Ellen’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Petaluma Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 41° | 7.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 52° |
| February | 58° | 40° | 7.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| March | 61° | 41° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| July | 82° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 71° |
| August | 83° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 81° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 74° | 51° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| November | 62° | 44° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 40° | 8.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 39.5" | 0.0" | 70 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 57°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Glen Ellen’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 Glen Ellen’s center.
- Snow: Petaluma Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sonoma, CA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 460 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 Glen Ellen’s climate
What is the weather like in Glen Ellen?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Glen Ellen in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 21 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Glen Ellen get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Petaluma Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Glen Ellen?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 55°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Sonoma, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Glen Ellen?
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 Glen Ellen in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Glen Ellen?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), 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 Glen Ellen getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Glen Ellen.
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.