Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Palm Springs: 4 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 106° on average. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in almost every U.S. town. The latest 30-year average runs 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from November to March, with highs of 68–78°.
A year in Palm Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Palm Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Palm Springs’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Palm Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 days a year reach 100°
And 183 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from Palm Springs, CA, 2.3 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Palm Springs’ 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.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 4 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 Palm Springs, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Palm Springs
14% 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 Palm Springs, CA.
Living with Palm Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 5, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 123 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. 127 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Palm Springs from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Palm Springs and its neighbors
Whitewater has the coldest January nights next door (41°, 4° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Palm Springs’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Springs, CA | 45° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Boulder City, NV | 41° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Sun City, AZ | 42° | 106° | 8" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 Palm Springs averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Palm Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Palm Springs’ place among California’s.
Palm Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Palm Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Palm Springs, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 70° | 45° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| February | 72° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| March | 78° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| April | 84° | 56° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| May | 92° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 84° |
| June | 101° | 70° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 79° – 89° |
| July | 106° | 76° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 85° – 95° |
| August | 105° | 76° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 87° – 94° |
| September | 100° | 70° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 82° – 89° |
| October | 89° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| November | 77° | 50° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| December | 68° | 43° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| Year | 87° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 58° to 72°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Palm Springs’ 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 Palm Springs’ center.
- Snow: Palm Springs, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Palm Springs, CA, 2.3 miles from the town’s center, 720 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 Palm Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Palm Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 106°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 54 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Palm Springs in winter?
December nights average 43°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.6 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Palm Springs get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Palm Springs, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Palm Springs?
July, with a typical high of 106° and a low of 76°. About 183 days a year reach 90° and 123 reach 100° (Palm Springs, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Palm Springs?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 21% of winters at Palm Springs, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs?
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 Palm Springs getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Palm Springs.
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.