Photo: prayitno · CC BY 2.0La Quinta reaches 100° on about 120 days a year, more than all but 23 U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 45°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in January and the lightest in June. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than almost every U.S. town. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from November to March, with highs of 69–80°.
A year in La Quinta at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Quinta’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Quinta’s place in California beside it.
What a year in La Quinta feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 298 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 7 and the first by December 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Quinta’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. 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 3 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 11 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Indio Fire Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in La Quinta
22% 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 Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport.
Living with La Quinta’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
298 frost-free days in zone 10a. The last frost comes by Feb 7 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 120 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Quinta from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Quinta and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of La Quinta in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like La Quinta’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 Quinta, CA | 45° | 107° | 3" | 0.0" |
| Boulder City, NV | 41° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Litchfield Park, AZ | 41° | 106° | 8" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 Quinta averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 76% 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 Quinta compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Quinta’s place among California’s.
La Quinta weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Quinta’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Indio Fire Stn, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71° | 45° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| February | 74° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| March | 80° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 74° |
| April | 87° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| May | 94° | 66° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| June | 102° | 73° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 82° – 91° |
| July | 107° | 79° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 88° – 96° |
| August | 106° | 79° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 89° – 95° |
| September | 101° | 73° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 84° – 90° |
| October | 91° | 62° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| November | 78° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| December | 69° | 43° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| Year | 88° | 61° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 60° to 74°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where La Quinta’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 Quinta’s center.
- Snow: Indio Fire Stn, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport, 6 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 Quinta’s climate
What is the weather like in La Quinta?
A typical July afternoon reaches 107°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 33 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Quinta in winter?
December nights average 43°. About 19 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 52°.
How much snow does La Quinta get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Indio Fire Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in La Quinta?
July, with a typical high of 107° and a low of 79°. About 187 days a year reach 90° and 120 reach 100° (Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in La Quinta?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 7 and the first fall frost by December 2, about 298 frost-free days, at Desert Resorts Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is La Quinta in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Quinta?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is La Quinta getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Quinta.
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.