Photo: Cbl62 · CC BY-SA 3.0La Crescenta-Montrose reaches 100° on about 20 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 45°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 46°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 94% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from October to June, the months with highs of 64–83°.
A year in La Crescenta-Montrose at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Crescenta-Montrose’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Crescenta-Montrose’s place in California beside it.
What a year in La Crescenta-Montrose feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 20 days a year reach 100°
And 87 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Newhall 5nw, CA, 23 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Crescenta-Montrose’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 34°. 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 21 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 34 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Altadena, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in La Crescenta-Montrose
47% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Newhall 5nw, CA.
Living with La Crescenta-Montrose’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 3, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 20 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, June, October, November and December. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Crescenta-Montrose from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Crescenta-Montrose and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of La Crescenta-Montrose in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like La Crescenta-Montrose’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crescenta-Montrose, CA | 45° | 89° | 21" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Green, OR | 37° | 86° | 32" | 0.0" |
| Ewa Beach, HI | 62° | 87° | 17" | 0.0" |
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 La Crescenta-Montrose averaged 2.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in all but 69 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 La Crescenta-Montrose compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Crescenta-Montrose’s place among California’s.
La Crescenta-Montrose weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Crescenta-Montrose’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Altadena, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65° | 45° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| February | 65° | 45° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 63° |
| March | 68° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 65° |
| April | 72° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| July | 89° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 91° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| September | 88° | 62° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 79° | 56° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 71° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| December | 64° | 45° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| Year | 76° | 53° | 20.9" | 0.0" | 34 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 63°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where La Crescenta-Montrose’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 La Crescenta-Montrose’s center.
- Snow: Altadena, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Newhall 5nw, CA, 23 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 La Crescenta-Montrose’s climate
What is the weather like in La Crescenta-Montrose?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Crescenta-Montrose in winter?
December nights average 45°. About 1 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does La Crescenta-Montrose get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Altadena, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in La Crescenta-Montrose?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 63°. About 87 days a year reach 90° and 20 reach 100° (Newhall 5nw, CA).
When is the first and last frost in La Crescenta-Montrose?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 37% of winters at Newhall 5nw, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is La Crescenta-Montrose in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 34°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Crescenta-Montrose?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is La Crescenta-Montrose getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 69 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Crescenta-Montrose.
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.