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Ladera RanchPhoto: Branden Pinney · Public domain
Climate in Ladera Ranch · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Ladera Ranch’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of.

Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns#41Mildest winters  of 757 in CA
Drier than 95% of U.S. towns#261 driest of 757 in CA
All CA rankings →

A year in Ladera Ranch at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan68°48°
Feb67°47° Wettest
Mar69°49°
Apr72°51°
May73°55°
Jun77°58°
Jul82°62°
Aug84°62° 1 day 90°+
Sep83°61° 1 day 90°+
Oct78°57° 1 day 90°+
Nov now73°51°
Dec67°47°

What stands out about Ladera Ranch’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ladera Ranch’s place in California beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Ladera Ranch feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
68° / 47°
Snow is rare
Spring
71° / 51°
Frost is rare
Summer
81° / 61°
4 days reach 90°
Fall
78° / 56°
Frost is rare
Best months to be outsideJanFebMarAprMayJunJulSepOctNovDecHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

Frost is rare

Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Laguna Beach, CA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft lower.

Most winters pass without a freeze. A night at 32° or below comes in about 20% of years at Laguna Beach, CA (about 1 winter in 5), and averages 1.0 a year.
1
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
155th fewest of 751 in California
Fewer freezing nights than 96% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
4
days that reach 90°
59th fewest of 751 in California
Fewer 90° days than 91% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
33rd fewest of 751 in California
Fewer 100° days than 68% of U.S. towns
10bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 10b

The 2023 USDA map puts Ladera Ranch’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°

0.7
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

1.3
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 13 inches of rain a year

February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 35 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA, so most winters see none.

13"
Rain + melted snow a year
261st driest of 757 in California
Drier than 95% of U.S. towns
0.0"
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 93% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

3.3"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Ladera Ranch

67% of the work is heating. No month averages under 55°.

1,377 heating degree daysLess heating than 92% of U.S. towns
682 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 70% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Laguna Beach, CA.

Living here

Living with Ladera Ranch’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 5, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November and December. 26 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ladera Ranch from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Ladera Ranch and its neighbors

Las Flores the hottest July afternoons (85°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Laguna Niguel: January low 48°, July high 78°San Clemente: January low 48°, July high 75°Dana Point: January low 48°, July high 75°Rancho Santa Margarita: January low 47°, July high 86°Coto de Caza: January low 47°, July high 85°Lake Forest: January low 47°, July high 84°Laguna Hills: January low 47°, July high 82°San Juan Capistrano: January low 48°, July high 79°Las Flores: January low 47°, July high 85°Rancho Mission Viejo: January low 47°, July high 82°Mission Viejo: January low 47°, July high 83°Ladera Ranch: January low 48°, July high 82°Ladera RanchSan Juan CapistranoLas FloresRancho Mission ViejoMission Viejo
ColderMilder47° to 48°
Las Flores46.9° about the same
Mission Viejo47.0° about the same
Rancho Mission Viejo47.3° about the same
Ladera Ranch47.5°
San Juan Capistrano47.7° about the same

Climates most like Ladera Ranch’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Ladera Ranch, CA48°82°13"0.0"
Ewa Beach, HI62°87°17"0.0"
Green, OR37°86°32"0.0"
Port Isabel, TX52°92°26"0.2"
Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ32°91°15"0.7"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Ladera Ranch averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).

+1.9°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 87% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.1°now 57°, was 55°
Spring+2.1°now 61°, was 59°
Summer+1.6°now 71°, was 69°
Fall+2.0°now 67°, was 65°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Ladera Ranch compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ladera Ranch’s place among California’s.

Summer heat82° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns194th coolest of 757 in California
Winter cold48° January low
Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns41st mildest of 757 in California
Precipitation13" a year
Drier than 95% of U.S. towns261st driest of 757 in California
Snow0.0" a winter
Less snow than 93% of U.S. townsNot ranked: under an inch a year
Hot days4 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 91% of U.S. towns59th fewest of 751 in California
Freezing nights1 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 96% of U.S. towns155th fewest of 751 in California
Month by month

Ladera Ranch weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ladera Ranch’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January68°48°2.7"0.0"6054° – 63°
February67°47°3.3"0.0"7051° – 65°
March69°49°1.9"0.0"5052° – 66°
April72°51°0.8"0.0"3057° – 65°
May73°55°0.3"0.0"2060° – 70°
June77°58°0.1"0.0"1064° – 72°
July82°62°0.0"0.0"1069° – 78°
August84°62°0.0"0.0"0071° – 77°
September83°61°0.1"0.0"1069° – 76°
October78°57°0.5"0.0"2063° – 73°
November73°51°0.9"0.0"3056° – 66°
December67°47°2.1"0.0"6054° – 63°
Year75°54°12.7"0.0"350
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 65°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Ladera Ranch’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 Ladera Ranch’s center.
  • Snow: Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Laguna Beach, CA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 430 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 Ladera Ranch’s climate

What is the weather like in Ladera Ranch?

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Ladera Ranch in winter?

December nights average 47°. About 1 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 54°.

How much snow does Ladera Ranch get?

About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Santa Ana Fire Stn, CA, so most winters see none.

How hot does it get in Ladera Ranch?

July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Laguna Beach, CA).

When is the first and last frost in Ladera Ranch?

Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 20% of winters at Laguna Beach, CA, usually in December or January.

What growing zone is Ladera Ranch 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 Ladera Ranch?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Ladera Ranch getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ladera Ranch.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.