Mojave reaches 100° on about 34 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 33°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 65°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on almost every U.S. town. Central heating does most of its work from December to February, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Mojave at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mojave’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mojave’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Mojave feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 241 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 15 and the first by November 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mojave, CA, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mojave’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mojave, CA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 20 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mojave
59% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mojave, CA.
Living with Mojave’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
241 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October. 94 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mojave from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mojave and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mojave yet.
Climates most like Mojave’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mojave, CA | 33° | 97° | 8" | 1.2" |
| San Elizario, TX | 31° | 97° | 9" | 1.7" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
| Thatcher, AZ | 31° | 99° | 9" | 0.2" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Mojave averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Mojave compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mojave’s place among California’s.
Mojave weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mojave’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mojave, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 33° | 1.6" | 0.5" | 4 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| February | 60° | 36° | 2.0" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| March | 66° | 40° | 1.1" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| April | 72° | 44° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 81° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 57° – 74° |
| June | 91° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 69° – 82° |
| July | 97° | 68° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 87° |
| August | 97° | 66° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| September | 90° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 79° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 66° | 38° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 32° | 1.1" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 47° |
| Year | 76° | 48° | 7.5" | 1.2" | 20 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 74°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Mojave’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 Mojave’s center.
- Snow: Mojave, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mojave, CA, 2.9 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 Mojave’s climate
What is the weather like in Mojave?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mojave in winter?
December nights average 32°. About 40 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Mojave get?
About 1.2 inches in a normal winter at Mojave, CA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mojave?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 68°. About 110 days a year reach 90° and 34 reach 100° (Mojave, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Mojave?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 15 and the first fall frost by November 17, about 241 frost-free days, at Mojave, CA.
What growing zone is Mojave in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mojave?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mojave getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mojave.
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.