Photo: Jef Poskanzer · CC BY 2.0Mendocino sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
Midwinter brings lows of about 42°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 91% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Long walks are most pleasant from June to October, when afternoons reach 64–66°.
A year in Mendocino at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mendocino’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mendocino’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Mendocino feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 272 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 2 and the first by December 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, 14 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mendocino’s 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°
About 44 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 111 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Mendocino
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from November through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
Living with Mendocino’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
272 frost-free days in zone 10a. The last frost comes by Mar 2 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August, September and October. 6.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mendocino from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (56%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mendocino and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mendocino yet.
Climates most like Mendocino’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino, CA | 42° | 66° | 44" | 0.0" |
| Coos Bay, OR | 40° | 66° | 61" | 0.2" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Mendocino averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Mendocino compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mendocino’s place among California’s.
Mendocino weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mendocino’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Bragg 5 N, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 42° | 7.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| February | 56° | 42° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| March | 57° | 43° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| April | 58° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| May | 61° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| June | 64° | 49° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 60° |
| July | 66° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 61° |
| August | 66° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| September | 66° | 51° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| October | 64° | 48° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 59° | 45° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| December | 55° | 42° | 8.8" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 46° – 53° |
| Year | 61° | 46° | 44.0" | 0.0" | 111 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Mendocino’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 Mendocino’s center.
- Snow: Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, 14 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Mendocino’s climate
What is the weather like in Mendocino?
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, 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 all but 40 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mendocino in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Mendocino get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Mendocino?
July, with a typical high of 66°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Mendocino?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 2 and the first fall frost by December 1, about 272 frost-free days, at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
What growing zone is Mendocino 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 Mendocino?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mendocino getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mendocino.
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.