Warner's Ranch · Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey - Jack E. Boucher · Public domainJulian’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Julian at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Julian’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Julian’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Julian feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 248 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 27 and the first by December 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Julian Cdf, CA, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Julian’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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Julian Cdf, CA, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 45 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Julian
79% of the work is heating. 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 Julian Cdf, CA.
Living with Julian’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
248 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 27 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 17 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Julian from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (77%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Julian and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Julian yet.
Climates most like Julian’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian, CA | 35° | 88° | 23" | 6.4" |
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
| Walla Walla, WA | 30° | 91° | 16" | 9.0" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
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 Julian averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Julian compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Julian’s place among California’s.
Julian weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Julian’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Julian Cdf, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 35° | 4.1" | 1.1" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| February | 56° | 35° | 4.9" | 1.9" | 8 | 1 | 39° – 53° |
| March | 60° | 37° | 3.6" | 3.0" | 6 | 0 | 42° – 56° |
| April | 65° | 39° | 1.8" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 44° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| July | 88° | 58° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| August | 89° | 58° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| September | 83° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| October | 73° | 46° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 63° | 39° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 35° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| Year | 70° | 44° | 22.5" | 6.4" | 45 | 1 |
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 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Julian’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 Julian’s center.
- Snow: Julian Cdf, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Julian Cdf, CA, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, 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 Julian’s climate
What is the weather like in Julian?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Julian in winter?
February nights average 35°. About 37 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Julian get?
About 6.4 inches in a normal winter at Julian Cdf, CA, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Julian?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 58°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (Julian Cdf, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Julian?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 27 and the first fall frost by December 1, about 248 frost-free days, at Julian Cdf, CA.
What growing zone is Julian 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 Julian?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Julian getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Julian.
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.