Photo: Raleigh Littles · CC BY-SA 4.0Morro Bay’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 68°, a January night drops to 46°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Morro Bay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Morro Bay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Morro Bay’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Morro Bay 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 Morro Bay Fire Dept, CA, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Morro Bay’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 34°. 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 17 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 42 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Morro Bay Fire Dept, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Morro Bay
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Morro Bay Fire Dept, CA.
Living with Morro Bay’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 7, 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. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Morro Bay from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Morro Bay and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Morro Bay yet.
Climates most like Morro Bay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morro Bay, CA | 46° | 68° | 17" | 0.1" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| 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 Morro Bay averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Morro Bay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Morro Bay’s place among California’s.
Morro Bay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Morro Bay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Morro Bay Fire Dept, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| February | 63° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| March | 63° | 47° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| April | 65° | 48° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| May | 65° | 50° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 67° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| July | 68° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| August | 69° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| September | 70° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 70° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| November | 67° | 49° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| December | 62° | 45° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| Year | 66° | 50° | 17.4" | 0.1" | 42 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 60°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Morro Bay’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 Morro Bay’s center.
- Snow: Morro Bay Fire Dept, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Morro Bay Fire Dept, CA, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher; 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 Morro Bay’s climate
What is the weather like in Morro Bay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 68°, a January night drops to 46°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 66 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Morro Bay in winter?
December nights average 45°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Morro Bay get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Morro Bay Fire Dept, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Morro Bay?
July, with a typical high of 68° and a low of 55°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Morro Bay Fire Dept, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Morro Bay?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 15% of winters at Morro Bay Fire Dept, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Morro Bay in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 34°.
What is the best time of year to visit Morro Bay?
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 Morro Bay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Morro Bay.
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.