Ocotillo is among the driest of U.S. towns: 3 inches of precipitation a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 44°. Seasons differ by 62°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its July heat outdoes that of almost every U.S. town. For walks and days out, the stretch from November to April brings highs of 69–84°.
A year in Ocotillo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ocotillo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ocotillo’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Ocotillo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 116 days a year reach 100°
And 180 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from El Centro Naf, CA, 19 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ocotillo’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 33°. 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 3 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 14 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Ocotillo 2, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ocotillo
18% 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 El Centro Naf, CA.
Living with Ocotillo’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 the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 116 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, April, November and December. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ocotillo from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (84%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ocotillo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ocotillo yet.
Climates most like Ocotillo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocotillo, CA | 44° | 105° | 3" | 0.0" |
| Boulder City, NV | 41° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Goodyear, AZ | 41° | 106° | 7" | 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 Ocotillo averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Ocotillo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ocotillo’s place among California’s.
Ocotillo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ocotillo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ocotillo 2, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 70° | 44° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| February | 73° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| March | 78° | 50° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| April | 84° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| May | 91° | 59° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| June | 100° | 66° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 87° |
| July | 105° | 73° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 85° – 92° |
| August | 105° | 73° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 86° – 92° |
| September | 100° | 68° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 80° – 87° |
| October | 89° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| November | 78° | 49° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| December | 69° | 43° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| Year | 87° | 57° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Ocotillo’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 Ocotillo’s center.
- Snow: Ocotillo 2, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: El Centro Naf, CA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 500 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Ocotillo’s climate
What is the weather like in Ocotillo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 105°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 75 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ocotillo in winter?
December nights average 43°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Ocotillo get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Ocotillo 2, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ocotillo?
July, with a typical high of 105° and a low of 73°. About 180 days a year reach 90° and 116 reach 100° (El Centro Naf, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Ocotillo?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 79% of winters at El Centro Naf, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Ocotillo in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 33°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ocotillo?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ocotillo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ocotillo.
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.