Pigeon Point Lighthouse · Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0Pescadero has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 45°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 94% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.9°, most of all in January. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to November, with highs of 62–69°.
A year in Pescadero at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pescadero’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pescadero’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Pescadero feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 268 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 2 and the first by November 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at San Gregorio 2 Se, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pescadero’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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 26 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 96 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at San Gregorio 2 Se, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Pescadero
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at San Gregorio 2 Se, CA.
Living with Pescadero’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
268 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 2 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pescadero from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (31%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pescadero and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pescadero yet.
Climates most like Pescadero’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pescadero, CA | 45° | 67° | 26" | 0.0" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Coos Bay, OR | 40° | 66° | 61" | 0.2" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Pescadero averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Pescadero compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pescadero’s place among California’s.
Pescadero weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pescadero’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from San Gregorio 2 Se, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 45° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| February | 59° | 46° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| March | 61° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| April | 62° | 47° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| May | 64° | 50° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| June | 66° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| July | 67° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 63° |
| August | 68° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| September | 69° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 68° | 51° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| November | 62° | 47° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| December | 58° | 45° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| Year | 63° | 49° | 26.0" | 0.0" | 96 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Pescadero’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 Pescadero’s center.
- Snow: San Gregorio 2 Se, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: San Gregorio 2 Se, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Pescadero’s climate
What is the weather like in Pescadero?
A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 48 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pescadero in winter?
December nights average 45°. About 16 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Pescadero get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at San Gregorio 2 Se, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Pescadero?
July, with a typical high of 67° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (San Gregorio 2 Se, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Pescadero?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 2 and the first fall frost by November 25, about 268 frost-free days, at San Gregorio 2 Se, CA.
What growing zone is Pescadero in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pescadero?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pescadero getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pescadero.
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.