Photo: Stickpen · Public domainLa Mesa’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in La Mesa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Mesa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Mesa’s place in California beside it.
What a year in La Mesa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at El Cajon, CA, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Mesa’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 37°. 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 12 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 45 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Lakeside 2 E, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in La Mesa
49% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at El Cajon, CA.
Living with La Mesa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 7 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, October, November and December. 2.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Mesa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Mesa and its neighbors
El Cajon has the coldest January nights next door (43°, 2° colder) and El Cajon the hottest July afternoons (85°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like La Mesa’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 Mesa, CA | 44° | 83° | 12" | 0.0" |
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
| Ewa Beach, HI | 62° | 87° | 17" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
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 La Mesa averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 La Mesa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Mesa’s place among California’s.
La Mesa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Mesa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lakeside 2 E, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69° | 44° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| February | 68° | 46° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| March | 70° | 48° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| April | 72° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| May | 74° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| June | 78° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 85° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| October | 80° | 56° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| November | 74° | 48° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| December | 68° | 44° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 59° |
| Year | 75° | 53° | 11.9" | 0.0" | 45 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 65°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where La Mesa’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 Mesa’s center.
- Snow: Lakeside 2 E, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: El Cajon, CA, 5 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 La Mesa’s climate
What is the weather like in La Mesa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Mesa in winter?
December nights average 44°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 53°.
How much snow does La Mesa get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Lakeside 2 E, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in La Mesa?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 57 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (El Cajon, CA).
When is the first and last frost in La Mesa?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 73% of winters at El Cajon, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is La Mesa in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 37°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Mesa?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, July, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is La Mesa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Mesa.
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.