Photo: Patrick Pelletier · CC BY-SA 3.0Ojai reaches 100° on about 16 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Ojai at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ojai’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ojai’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Ojai feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 235 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 21 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ojai, CA, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ojai’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 44 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Ojai, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ojai
77% of the work is heating. 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 Ojai, CA.
Living with Ojai’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
235 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 21 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, June, October and November. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ojai from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (39%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ojai and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ojai in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ojai’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ojai, CA | 39° | 88° | 20" | 0.1" |
| 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 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 Ojai averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in all but 129 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 Ojai compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ojai’s place among California’s.
Ojai weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ojai’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ojai, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 39° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| February | 67° | 41° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| March | 70° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 45° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| May | 77° | 50° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| June | 82° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 88° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| August | 89° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 87° | 56° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| October | 80° | 50° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| November | 72° | 43° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| December | 66° | 39° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 56° |
| Year | 77° | 48° | 19.7" | 0.1" | 44 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 62°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ojai’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 Ojai’s center.
- Snow: Ojai, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ojai, CA, 1.1 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 Ojai’s climate
What is the weather like in Ojai?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ojai in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 31 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Ojai get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Ojai, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ojai?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 58°. About 75 days a year reach 90° and 16 reach 100° (Ojai, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Ojai?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 21 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 235 frost-free days, at Ojai, CA.
What growing zone is Ojai in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ojai?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, June, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ojai getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 129 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ojai.
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.