Photo: Abby Lanes · CC BY-SA 3.0Palos Verdes Estates’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 50°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Palos Verdes Estates at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Palos Verdes Estates’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Palos Verdes Estates’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Palos Verdes Estates feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Redondo Beach, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Palos Verdes Estates’ center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 39°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 13 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 28 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Palos Verdes Es Fc43d, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Palos Verdes Estates
73% of the work is heating. 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 Redondo Beach, CA.
Living with Palos Verdes Estates’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 38, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. 20 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Palos Verdes Estates from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (54%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Palos Verdes Estates and its neighbors
Torrance has the coldest January nights next door (49°, 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 Palos Verdes Estates’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palos Verdes Estates, CA | 50° | 78° | 13" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Winston, OR | 37° | 86° | 33" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
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 Palos Verdes Estates averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Palos Verdes Estates compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Palos Verdes Estates’ place among California’s.
Palos Verdes Estates weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Palos Verdes Estates’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Palos Verdes Es Fc43d, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65° | 50° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| February | 65° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| March | 67° | 52° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| April | 69° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| May | 71° | 56° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| June | 74° | 59° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 78° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 79° | 64° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 75° | 60° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| November | 70° | 55° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| December | 65° | 50° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| Year | 71° | 56° | 13.0" | 0.0" | 28 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 65°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Palos Verdes Estates’ 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 Palos Verdes Estates’ center.
- Snow: Palos Verdes Es Fc43d, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Redondo Beach, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; 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 Palos Verdes Estates’ climate
What is the weather like in Palos Verdes Estates?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 50°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Palos Verdes Estates in winter?
December nights average 50°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.1 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 55°.
How much snow does Palos Verdes Estates get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Palos Verdes Es Fc43d, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Palos Verdes Estates?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 63°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Redondo Beach, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Palos Verdes Estates?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 3% of winters at Redondo Beach, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Palos Verdes Estates in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 39°.
What is the best time of year to visit Palos Verdes Estates?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Palos Verdes Estates getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Palos Verdes Estates.
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.