Photo: Robert Hsiao · CC BY-SA 4.0Oakland sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
January mornings start at about 44°. December is the wettest month here, with about 407 times the rain of July. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 92% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from March to November, with highs of 64–75°.
A year in Oakland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oakland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oakland’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Oakland 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 Oakland Metro International Airport, 3 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oakland’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 20 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 68 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Upper San Leandro Filters, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Oakland
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 Oakland Metro International Airport.
Living with Oakland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 6 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 104 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oakland from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oakland and its neighbors
Castro Valley has the coldest January nights next door (40°, 4° colder) and Castro Valley the hottest July afternoons (82°, 9° 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 Oakland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland, CA | 44° | 74° | 20" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Oak Harbor, WA | 36° | 71° | 24" | 2.5" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Hayden, ID | 25° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
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 Oakland averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 64% 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. In a city of 441,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Oakland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oakland’s place among California’s.
Oakland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oakland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Upper San Leandro Filters, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 44° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| February | 61° | 46° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| March | 64° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| April | 66° | 49° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 61° |
| May | 69° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 73° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 66° |
| July | 74° | 57° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| August | 74° | 57° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 75° | 56° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 72° | 53° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 48° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 58° | 44° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| Year | 67° | 51° | 20.2" | 0.0" | 68 | 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 60°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Oakland’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 Oakland’s center.
- Snow: Upper San Leandro Filters, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oakland Metro International Airport, 3 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Oakland’s climate
What is the weather like in Oakland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 152 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oakland in winter?
January nights average 44°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 48°.
How much snow does Oakland get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Upper San Leandro Filters, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Oakland?
July, with a typical high of 74° and a low of 57°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Oakland Metro International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Oakland?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 63% of winters at Oakland Metro International Airport, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Oakland 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 Oakland?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Oakland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oakland.
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.