Photo: Sallyrob at English Wikipedia · Public domainMoss Beach’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Moss Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Moss Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Moss Beach’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Moss Beach 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 Half Moon Bay, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Moss Beach’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.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 28 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 Moss Beach
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Half Moon Bay, CA.
Living with Moss Beach’s 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: May, June, July, August, September and October. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Moss Beach from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (44%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Moss Beach and its neighbors
Montara the hottest July afternoons (69°, 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 Moss Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moss Beach, CA | 45° | 67° | 28" | 0.0" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Coos Bay, OR | 40° | 66° | 61" | 0.2" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Moss Beach 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 Moss Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Moss Beach’s place among California’s.
Moss Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Moss Beach’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° | 45° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 54° |
| February | 58° | 46° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| March | 60° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| April | 61° | 48° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| May | 63° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| June | 66° | 52° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| July | 67° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 58° – 63° |
| August | 68° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 65° |
| September | 69° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 68° | 52° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| November | 61° | 48° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 45° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| Year | 63° | 50° | 28.0" | 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 6°.
Where Moss Beach’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 Moss Beach’s center.
- Snow: Pacifica 4 Sse, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Half Moon Bay, CA, 4 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 Moss Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Moss Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 48 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Moss Beach in winter?
January nights average 45°. About 5 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 48°.
How much snow does Moss Beach 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 Moss Beach?
July, with a typical high of 67°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Half Moon Bay, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Moss Beach?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 82% of winters at Half Moon Bay, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Moss Beach 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 Moss Beach?
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 Moss Beach 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 Moss Beach.
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.