Photo: Eric Polk · CC BY 3.0Guadalupe’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Guadalupe at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Guadalupe’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Guadalupe’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Guadalupe feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 315 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 4 and the first by December 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Santa Maria Public Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Guadalupe’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. 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 16 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 57 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Pismo Beach, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Guadalupe
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
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 Maria Public Airport.
Living with Guadalupe’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
315 frost-free days in zone 10a. The last frost comes by Feb 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 13.
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. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Guadalupe from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Guadalupe and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Guadalupe yet.
Climates most like Guadalupe’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guadalupe, CA | 44° | 70° | 16" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 14° | 79° | 14" | 15" |
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 Guadalupe averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Guadalupe compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Guadalupe’s place among California’s.
Guadalupe weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Guadalupe’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pismo Beach, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| February | 64° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| March | 65° | 46° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| April | 66° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| May | 67° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| June | 69° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| July | 70° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| August | 71° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| September | 73° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 73° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| November | 69° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| December | 64° | 44° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| Year | 68° | 49° | 15.6" | 0.0" | 57 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 61°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Guadalupe’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 Guadalupe’s center.
- Snow: Pismo Beach, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Maria Public Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Guadalupe’s climate
What is the weather like in Guadalupe?
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 81 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Guadalupe in winter?
December nights average 44°. About 9 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Guadalupe get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Pismo Beach, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Guadalupe?
July, with a typical high of 70° and a low of 55°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Santa Maria Public Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Guadalupe?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 4 and the first fall frost by December 13, about 315 frost-free days, at Santa Maria Public Airport.
What growing zone is Guadalupe in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Guadalupe?
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 Guadalupe getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Guadalupe.
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.