Integratron · Photo: Max Ronnersjö · CC BY-SA 3.0Homestead Valley reaches 100° on about 21 days a year, more than 96% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 37° on average. Winter and summer sit 64° apart. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on almost every U.S. town. Tender plants can go out after about March 1; in half of years the first frost comes by November 29.
A year in Homestead Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Homestead Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Homestead Valley’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Homestead Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 271 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 1 and the first by November 29. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Yucca Mesa, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Johnson Valley, CA, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Homestead Valley’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Yucca Valley, CA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 6 inches a year; January is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 26 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Homestead Valley
56% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Johnson Valley, CA.
Living with Homestead Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
271 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 1 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 88 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Homestead Valley from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Homestead Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Homestead Valley yet.
Climates most like Homestead 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homestead Valley, CA | 37° | 99° | 6" | 1.7" |
| Three Points, AZ | 37° | 99° | 11" | 0.1" |
| Socorro, TX | 31° | 97° | 9" | 2.8" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Homestead Valley averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Homestead Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Homestead Valley’s place among California’s.
Homestead Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Homestead Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Yucca Valley, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 37° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 44° – 54° |
| February | 62° | 39° | 1.1" | 0.7" | 3 | 44° – 58° |
| March | 69° | 44° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 49° – 63° |
| April | 75° | 48° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 55° – 66° |
| May | 84° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 62° – 76° |
| June | 94° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| July | 99° | 70° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 80° – 87° |
| August | 98° | 69° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 81° – 87° |
| September | 91° | 62° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 73° – 80° |
| October | 80° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 68° | 41° | 0.3" | 0.1" | 2 | 46° – 61° |
| December | 59° | 35° | 0.8" | 0.9" | 4 | 43° – 52° |
| Year | 78° | 51° | 5.6" | 1.7" | 26 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 61°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Homestead 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 Homestead Valley’s center.
- Snow: Yucca Valley, CA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Johnson Valley, CA, 9 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Yucca Mesa, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 290 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 Homestead Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Homestead Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 37°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 167 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Homestead Valley in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 15 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Homestead Valley get?
About 1.7 inches in a normal winter at Yucca Valley, CA, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Homestead Valley?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 70°. About 110 days a year reach 90° and 21 reach 100° (Johnson Valley, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Homestead Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 1 and the first fall frost by November 29, about 271 frost-free days, at Johnson Valley, CA.
What growing zone is Homestead Valley in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Homestead Valley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Homestead Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Homestead 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.