Photo: The original uploader was Tillman at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.0Malibu’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 49°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Malibu at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Malibu’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Malibu’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Malibu feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Santa Monica Pier, CA, 17 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Malibu’s center in zone 11a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 41°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
About 11 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 34 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Santa Monica Pier, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Malibu
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Santa Monica Pier, CA.
Living with Malibu’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 11a. Frost almost never comes, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
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. 47 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Malibu from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Malibu and its neighbors
Topanga has the coldest January nights next door (48°, 2° colder) and Topanga the hottest July afternoons (84°, 11° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Malibu’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malibu, CA | 49° | 73° | 11" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
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 Malibu averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in all but 104 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 Malibu compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Malibu’s place among California’s.
Malibu weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Malibu’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Monica Pier, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 49° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| February | 63° | 49° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| March | 65° | 51° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 66° |
| April | 66° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| May | 67° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 70° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 73° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 74° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 74° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 72° | 58° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| November | 69° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| December | 64° | 49° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| Year | 68° | 55° | 10.5" | 0.0" | 34 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Malibu’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 Malibu’s center.
- Snow: Santa Monica Pier, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Monica Pier, CA, 17 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 Malibu’s climate
What is the weather like in Malibu?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 49°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 128 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Malibu in winter?
February nights average 49°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average). In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Malibu get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Santa Monica Pier, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Malibu?
July, with a typical high of 73°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Santa Monica Pier, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Malibu?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Santa Monica Pier, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Malibu in?
Zone 11a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 41°.
What is the best time of year to visit Malibu?
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 Malibu getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 104 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Malibu.
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.