Photo: Missvain · CC BY 4.0Nipomo’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Nipomo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nipomo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nipomo’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Nipomo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 315 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 4 and the first by December 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Santa Maria Public Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nipomo’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. 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 16 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 51 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Twitchell Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Nipomo
94% 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 Santa Maria Public Airport.
Living with Nipomo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
315 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 13.
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. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nipomo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nipomo and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Nipomo in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Nipomo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nipomo, CA | 42° | 76° | 16" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Bethany, OR | 35° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
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 Nipomo averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Nipomo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nipomo’s place among California’s.
Nipomo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nipomo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Twitchell Dam, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| February | 65° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| March | 67° | 45° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 69° | 46° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 74° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| July | 76° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| August | 77° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 70° | 45° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| December | 64° | 41° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 16.0" | 0.0" | 51 | 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 61°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Nipomo’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 Nipomo’s center.
- Snow: Twitchell Dam, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Maria Public Airport, 10 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 Nipomo’s climate
What is the weather like in Nipomo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nipomo in winter?
December nights average 41°. About 9 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Nipomo get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Twitchell Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Nipomo?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 55°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Santa Maria Public Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Nipomo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 4 and the first fall frost by December 13, about 315 frost-free days, at Santa Maria Public Airport.
What growing zone is Nipomo in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Nipomo?
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 Nipomo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nipomo.
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.