Point Reyes Lifeboat Rescue Station, 1927 · Photo: Evan1007 · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Inverness
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 45°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 94% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Plan time outside from June to October, when highs sit at 65–69°.
A year in Inverness at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Inverness’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Inverness’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Inverness feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bodega 6 Wsw, CA, 20 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Inverness’ 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.
About 37 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Inverness
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Bodega 6 Wsw, CA.
Living with Inverness’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 6, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August, September and October. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Inverness from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (51%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Inverness and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Inverness 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 Inverness averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Inverness compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Inverness’ place among California’s.
Inverness weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Inverness’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 45° | 7.1" | 47° – 57° |
| February | 57° | 45° | 6.8" | 46° – 57° |
| March | 59° | 45° | 5.1" | 46° – 58° |
| April | 60° | 46° | 2.5" | 49° – 57° |
| May | 62° | 48° | 1.2" | 51° – 60° |
| June | 65° | 50° | 0.3" | 55° – 61° |
| July | 67° | 52° | 0.0" | 56° – 63° |
| August | 68° | 53° | 0.1" | 58° – 64° |
| September | 69° | 53° | 0.1" | 57° – 65° |
| October | 67° | 51° | 1.7" | 56° – 65° |
| November | 60° | 48° | 4.0" | 48° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 45° | 7.9" | 46° – 55° |
| Year | 62° | 48° | 36.7" |
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 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Inverness’ 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 Inverness’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bodega 6 Wsw, CA, 20 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Inverness’ climate
What is the weather like in Inverness?
A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 45°. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 47 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Inverness in winter?
January nights average 45°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.6 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How hot does it get in Inverness?
July, with a typical high of 67°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Bodega 6 Wsw, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Inverness?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 18% of winters at Bodega 6 Wsw, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Inverness 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 Inverness?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Inverness getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Inverness.
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.