Dixie Schoolhouse · Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Lucas Valley-Marinwood
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 41° on average. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 90% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.5°, most of all in January. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from March to November, with highs of 62–76°.
A year in Lucas Valley-Marinwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lucas Valley-Marinwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lucas Valley-Marinwood’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Lucas Valley-Marinwood 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, 4 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lucas Valley-Marinwood’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 34 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 Lucas Valley-Marinwood
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 Lucas Valley-Marinwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. 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: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lucas Valley-Marinwood from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lucas Valley-Marinwood and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lucas Valley-Marinwood in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lucas Valley-Marinwood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Valley-Marinwood, CA | 41° | 75° | 34" | 0.0" |
| Poulsbo, WA | 35° | 75° | 33" | 3.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Scappoose, OR | 34° | 81° | 41" | 0.8" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Lucas Valley-Marinwood averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Lucas Valley-Marinwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lucas Valley-Marinwood’s place among California’s.
Lucas Valley-Marinwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lucas Valley-Marinwood’s 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° | 41° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| February | 60° | 43° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| March | 62° | 44° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| April | 65° | 45° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| May | 68° | 48° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| June | 73° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| July | 75° | 52° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| August | 76° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 72° | 50° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 41° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| Year | 67° | 47° | 34.1" | 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 47° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Lucas Valley-Marinwood’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 Lucas Valley-Marinwood’s center.
- Snow: Muir Woods, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: San Rafael Civic Ctr, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 470 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 Lucas Valley-Marinwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Lucas Valley-Marinwood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lucas Valley-Marinwood in winter?
January nights average 41°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Lucas Valley-Marinwood get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Muir Woods, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lucas Valley-Marinwood?
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 Lucas Valley-Marinwood?
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 Lucas Valley-Marinwood 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 Lucas Valley-Marinwood?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, 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 Lucas Valley-Marinwood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lucas Valley-Marinwood.
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.