Photo: Fruitianslip · CC BY-SA 4.0Los Ranchos’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Los Ranchos at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Los Ranchos’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Los Ranchos’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Los Ranchos feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 319 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 31 and the first by December 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at San Luis Obispo Airport, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Los Ranchos’ center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. 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 17 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 57 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Pismo Beach, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Los Ranchos
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
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 Luis Obispo Airport.
Living with Los Ranchos’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
319 frost-free days in zone 10a. The last frost comes by Jan 31 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. 8.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Los Ranchos from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Los Ranchos and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Los Ranchos yet.
Climates most like Los Ranchos’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Ranchos, CA | 43° | 73° | 17" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
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 Los Ranchos averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Los Ranchos compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Los Ranchos’ place among California’s.
Los Ranchos weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Los Ranchos’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pismo Beach, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| February | 64° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| March | 66° | 45° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 67° | 46° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 69° | 49° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| June | 72° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| July | 73° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| August | 74° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| September | 76° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 74° | 50° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| November | 69° | 46° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| December | 64° | 43° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| Year | 69° | 48° | 16.5" | 0.0" | 57 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 61°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Los Ranchos’ 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 Los Ranchos’ center.
- Snow: Pismo Beach, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: San Luis Obispo Airport, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, 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 Los Ranchos’ climate
What is the weather like in Los Ranchos?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 128 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Los Ranchos in winter?
December nights average 43°. About 8 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Los Ranchos get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Pismo Beach, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Los Ranchos?
July, with a typical high of 73° and a low of 54°. About 15 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (San Luis Obispo Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Los Ranchos?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 31 and the first fall frost by December 11, about 319 frost-free days, at San Luis Obispo Airport.
What growing zone is Los Ranchos in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Los Ranchos?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Los Ranchos getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Los Ranchos.
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.