Oak Shores reaches 100° on about 21 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 37°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 56°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 90% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from December to January, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Oak Shores at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oak Shores’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oak Shores’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Oak Shores feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 238 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 15 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Paso Robles, CA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oak Shores’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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 19 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 47 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Paso Robles, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Oak Shores
77% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Paso Robles, CA.
Living with Oak Shores’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
238 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oak Shores from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (40%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oak Shores and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Oak Shores yet.
Climates most like Oak Shores’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Shores, CA | 37° | 91° | 19" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| College Place, WA | 30° | 91° | 15" | 7.2" |
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 Oak Shores averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Oak Shores compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oak Shores’ place among California’s.
Oak Shores weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oak Shores’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Paso Robles, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 37° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| February | 64° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| March | 68° | 40° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| April | 72° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 79° | 45° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 86° | 49° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 91° | 52° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 91° | 52° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 88° | 50° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 80° | 45° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 70° | 39° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 62° | 36° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| Year | 76° | 44° | 18.9" | 0.0" | 47 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 68°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Oak Shores’ 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 Oak Shores’ center.
- Snow: Paso Robles, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Paso Robles, CA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 360 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 Oak Shores’ climate
What is the weather like in Oak Shores?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oak Shores in winter?
December nights average 36°. About 54 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Oak Shores get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Paso Robles, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Oak Shores?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 52°. About 80 days a year reach 90° and 21 reach 100° (Paso Robles, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Oak Shores?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 15 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 238 frost-free days, at Paso Robles, CA.
What growing zone is Oak Shores in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Oak Shores?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Oak Shores getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oak Shores.
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.