Milpitas Grammar School · Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Milpitas’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Milpitas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Milpitas’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Milpitas’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Milpitas 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 Jose, CA, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Milpitas’ center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 31°. 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 14 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 64 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at San Jose, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Milpitas
78% of the work is heating. 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 Jose, CA.
Living with Milpitas’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 8 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 23 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Milpitas from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Milpitas and its neighbors
San Jose has the coldest January nights next door (39°, 1° colder) and San Jose the hottest July afternoons (86°, 2° 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 Milpitas’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milpitas, CA | 40° | 84° | 14" | 0.0" |
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Kennewick, WA | 29° | 90° | 8" | 2.0" |
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 Milpitas averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in August (+2.2°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Milpitas compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Milpitas’ place among California’s.
Milpitas weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Milpitas’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from San Jose, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 40° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 54° |
| February | 63° | 43° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| March | 67° | 45° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| May | 75° | 50° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| July | 84° | 57° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 68° – 73° |
| August | 84° | 56° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 82° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| October | 77° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| November | 66° | 44° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| December | 59° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| Year | 72° | 48° | 14.3" | 0.0" | 64 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Milpitas’ 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 Milpitas’ center.
- Snow: San Jose, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: San Jose, CA, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Milpitas’ climate
What is the weather like in Milpitas?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Milpitas in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Milpitas get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at San Jose, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Milpitas?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 57°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (San Jose, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Milpitas?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 76% of winters at San Jose, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Milpitas in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Milpitas?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, 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 Milpitas getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Milpitas.
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.