North Shore Yacht Club · Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0North Shore reaches 100° on about 128 days a year, more than all but 0 U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 43° on average. Seasons differ by 67°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its yearly precipitation falls short of almost every U.S. town. Long walks are most pleasant from November to March, when afternoons reach 69–81°.
A year in North Shore at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North Shore’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North Shore’s place in California beside it.
What a year in North Shore feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 128 days a year reach 100°
And 196 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mecca Fire Stn, CA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts North Shore’s center in zone 10a: 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 4 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 11 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Mecca Fire Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in North Shore
16% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mecca Fire Stn, CA.
Living with North Shore’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 7 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 128 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North Shore from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North Shore and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around North Shore yet.
Climates most like North Shore’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Shore, CA | 43° | 108° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Boulder City, NV | 41° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Litchfield Park, AZ | 41° | 106° | 8" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 North Shore averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 North Shore compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North Shore’s place among California’s.
North Shore weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North Shore’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mecca Fire Stn, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71° | 43° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| February | 74° | 46° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| March | 81° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| April | 88° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| May | 95° | 65° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 86° |
| June | 104° | 73° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 84° – 93° |
| July | 108° | 80° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 89° – 98° |
| August | 107° | 80° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 90° – 98° |
| September | 102° | 73° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 85° – 90° |
| October | 91° | 61° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| November | 79° | 49° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| December | 69° | 42° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| Year | 89° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 60° to 73°. September is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where North Shore’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 North Shore’s center.
- Snow: Mecca Fire Stn, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mecca Fire Stn, CA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower; 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 North Shore’s climate
What is the weather like in North Shore?
A typical July afternoon reaches 108°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 13 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North Shore in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 8 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does North Shore get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Mecca Fire Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in North Shore?
July, with a typical high of 108° and a low of 80°. About 196 days a year reach 90° and 128 reach 100° (Mecca Fire Stn, CA).
When is the first and last frost in North Shore?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 70% of winters at Mecca Fire Stn, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is North Shore in?
Zone 10a 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 North Shore?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is North Shore getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North Shore.
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.