Palmdale reaches 100° on about 36 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Palmdale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Palmdale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Palmdale’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Palmdale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 248 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 10 and the first by November 19. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Palmdale Airport, 2.9 miles from the city’s center point, 150 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Palmdale, CA, 0.7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Palmdale’s center in zone 9a: 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 6 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 27 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Palmdale, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Palmdale
55% 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 Palmdale, CA.
Living with Palmdale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
248 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 10 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October. 189 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Palmdale from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Palmdale and its neighbors
Lancaster has the coldest January nights next door (34°, 1° 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 Palmdale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmdale, CA | 35° | 96° | 6" | 0.0" |
| Canutillo, TX | 32° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Green Valley, AZ | 36° | 97° | 13" | 0.1" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Palmdale averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 162,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Palmdale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Palmdale’s place among California’s.
Palmdale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Palmdale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Palmdale, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 35° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| February | 62° | 37° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 42° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| April | 73° | 44° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| May | 80° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 57° – 73° |
| June | 90° | 59° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 67° – 80° |
| July | 96° | 65° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| August | 96° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 91° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 79° | 48° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 67° | 39° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 34° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| Year | 76° | 48° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 27 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 73°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Palmdale’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 Palmdale’s center.
- Snow: Palmdale, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Palmdale, CA, 0.7 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Palmdale Airport, 2.9 miles from the city’s center point, 150 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 Palmdale’s climate
What is the weather like in Palmdale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Palmdale in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 54 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Palmdale get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Palmdale, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Palmdale?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 65°. About 113 days a year reach 90° and 36 reach 100° (Palmdale, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Palmdale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 10 and the first fall frost by November 19, about 248 frost-free days, at Palmdale, CA.
What growing zone is Palmdale in?
Zone 9a 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 Palmdale?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Palmdale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Palmdale.
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.