Photo: Luzonensis · CC BY-SA 4.0Highland reaches 100° on about 26 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 41°. Seasons differ by 59°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 93% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from January to May and October to November brings highs of 66–83°.
A year in Highland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Highland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Highland’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Highland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 26 days a year reach 100°
And 104 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Redlands, CA, 6 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Highland’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 31°. 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 14 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 43 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Redlands, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Highland
48% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. 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 Redlands, CA.
Living with Highland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 9 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 26 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, October and November. 37 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Highland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Highland and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Highland in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Highland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland, CA | 41° | 97° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Green Valley, AZ | 36° | 97° | 13" | 0.1" |
| Del Rio, TX | 40° | 98° | 19" | 0.2" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Highland averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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 Highland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Highland’s place among California’s.
Highland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Highland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Redlands, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 41° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| February | 67° | 42° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 63° |
| March | 71° | 45° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 65° |
| April | 76° | 48° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 82° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 90° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| July | 97° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| August | 98° | 64° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| September | 93° | 60° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 83° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 73° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| December | 65° | 39° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| Year | 80° | 51° | 14.4" | 0.0" | 43 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 63°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Highland’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 Highland’s center.
- Snow: Redlands, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Redlands, CA, 6 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; 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 Highland’s climate
What is the weather like in Highland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Highland in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 48°.
How much snow does Highland get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Redlands, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Highland?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 63°. About 104 days a year reach 90° and 26 reach 100° (Redlands, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Highland?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 88% of winters at Redlands, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Highland in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Highland?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Highland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Highland.
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.