Olema Lime Kilns · Photo: Roger Sturtevant, photographer · Public domainLagunitas-Forest Knolls sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
January mornings start at about 42°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 91% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. From April to November, highs of 62–77° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls 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 San Rafael Civic Ctr, CA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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 36 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 96 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Muir Woods, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls
84% 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 San Rafael Civic Ctr, CA.
Living with Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. 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: April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 20 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lagunitas-Forest Knolls and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lagunitas-Forest Knolls yet.
Climates most like Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagunitas-Forest Knolls, CA | 42° | 75° | 36" | 0.0" |
| Wollochet, WA | 36° | 77° | 43" | 0.3" |
| Scappoose, OR | 34° | 81° | 41" | 0.8" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Swannanoa, NC | 27° | 83° | 48" | 2.1" |
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 Lagunitas-Forest Knolls averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Lagunitas-Forest Knolls compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ place among California’s.
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Muir Woods, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 42° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| February | 58° | 43° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| March | 61° | 43° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| April | 63° | 45° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| May | 67° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 72° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| July | 75° | 52° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| August | 77° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| September | 77° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 72° | 50° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| November | 62° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 42° | 7.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| Year | 66° | 47° | 36.2" | 0.0" | 96 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ 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 Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ center.
- Snow: Muir Woods, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: San Rafael Civic Ctr, CA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 440 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 Lagunitas-Forest Knolls’ climate
What is the weather like in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Lagunitas-Forest Knolls get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Muir Woods, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 52°. About 20 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (San Rafael Civic Ctr, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 70% of winters at San Rafael Civic Ctr, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Lagunitas-Forest Knolls in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lagunitas-Forest Knolls?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lagunitas-Forest Knolls getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls.
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.