Courtlandt Gross House · Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Golden Hills: 13 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 90°. The wettest month is February; the driest is August. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 76% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Golden Hills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Golden Hills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Golden Hills’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Golden Hills feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tehachapi 4 Se, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Golden Hills’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 13 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Golden Hills
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Tehachapi 4 Se, CA.
Living with Golden Hills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 28 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June and October. 10 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Golden Hills from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Golden Hills and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Golden Hills yet.
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 Golden Hills averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 86% 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 Golden Hills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Golden Hills’ place among California’s.
Golden Hills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Golden Hills’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 2.8" | 39° – 49° |
| February | 55° | 34° | 2.9" | 39° – 51° |
| March | 60° | 37° | 2.0" | 42° – 55° |
| April | 65° | 41° | 0.9" | 47° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 0.4" | 51° – 68° |
| June | 83° | 56° | 0.1" | 62° – 74° |
| July | 90° | 63° | 0.1" | 72° – 80° |
| August | 90° | 62° | 0.1" | 72° – 80° |
| September | 84° | 55° | 0.1" | 64° – 73° |
| October | 73° | 46° | 0.6" | 56° – 64° |
| November | 61° | 38° | 0.9" | 42° – 54° |
| December | 53° | 32° | 1.9" | 38° – 47° |
| Year | 70° | 45° | 12.7" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Golden Hills’ 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 Golden Hills’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tehachapi 4 Se, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 280 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 Golden Hills’ climate
What is the weather like in Golden Hills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 33°. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Golden Hills in winter?
December nights average 32°. About 82 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How hot does it get in Golden Hills?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 63°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Tehachapi 4 Se, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Golden Hills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 183 frost-free days, at Tehachapi 4 Se, CA.
What growing zone is Golden Hills in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Golden Hills?
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 Golden Hills getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Golden Hills.
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.