Photo: Public domain · Public domainMontara’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 69°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Montara at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Montara’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Montara’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Montara 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 Pacifica 4 Sse, CA, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Montara’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.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 30 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 69 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Pacifica 4 Sse, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Montara
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Pacifica 4 Sse, CA.
Living with Montara’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 5, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Montara from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (44%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Montara and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Montara yet.
Climates most like Montara’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montara, CA | 44° | 69° | 30" | 0.0" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Scappoose, OR | 34° | 81° | 41" | 0.8" |
| 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 Montara averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Montara compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Montara’s place among California’s.
Montara weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Montara’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pacifica 4 Sse, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 44° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 54° |
| February | 58° | 45° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| March | 60° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| April | 62° | 47° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 57° |
| May | 64° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| June | 67° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 61° |
| July | 69° | 53° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 59° – 64° |
| August | 71° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| September | 71° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 69° | 52° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| November | 62° | 47° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 44° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| Year | 64° | 49° | 29.9" | 0.0" | 69 | 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 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Montara’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 Montara’s center.
- Snow: Pacifica 4 Sse, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pacifica 4 Sse, CA, 3 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 Montara’s climate
What is the weather like in Montara?
A typical July afternoon reaches 69°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 73 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Montara in winter?
January nights average 44°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.6 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Montara get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Pacifica 4 Sse, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Montara?
July, with a typical high of 69° and a low of 53°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Pacifica 4 Sse, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Montara?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 20% of winters at Pacifica 4 Sse, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Montara 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 Montara?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Montara getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Montara.
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.