Piñon Hills is among the driest of U.S. towns: 8 inches of precipitation a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 91°. In January, nights here are milder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 2.0° above 1901–2000. Plan time outside for April, May, October and November, when highs sit at 63–75°.
A year in Piñon Hills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Piñon Hills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Piñon Hills’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Piñon Hills feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 258 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 13 and the first by December 1. Frost and day counts come from Pearblossom, CA, 16 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Piñon Hills’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 8 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Piñon Hills
53% 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 Pearblossom, CA.
Living with Piñon Hills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
258 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 13 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, October and November. 65 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Piñon Hills from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Piñon Hills and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Piñon Hills yet.
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 Piñon Hills averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 Piñon Hills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Piñon Hills’ place among California’s.
Piñon Hills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Piñon Hills’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 36° | 1.9" | 42° – 52° |
| February | 57° | 37° | 2.1" | 40° – 54° |
| March | 62° | 39° | 1.0" | 44° – 57° |
| April | 68° | 43° | 0.5" | 50° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 49° | 0.1" | 54° – 69° |
| June | 85° | 57° | 0.1" | 64° – 75° |
| July | 91° | 64° | 0.2" | 72° – 82° |
| August | 91° | 64° | 0.1" | 74° – 80° |
| September | 85° | 59° | 0.2" | 67° – 76° |
| October | 74° | 50° | 0.4" | 58° – 68° |
| November | 63° | 41° | 0.5" | 44° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 35° | 1.4" | 41° – 49° |
| Year | 72° | 48° | 8.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 69°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Piñon Hills’ 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 Piñon Hills’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pearblossom, CA, 16 miles from the town’s center, 930 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 Piñon Hills’ climate
What is the weather like in Piñon Hills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 36°. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Piñon Hills in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 26 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How hot does it get in Piñon Hills?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 64°. About 107 days a year reach 90° and 24 reach 100° (Pearblossom, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Piñon Hills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 13 and the first fall frost by December 1, about 258 frost-free days, at Pearblossom, CA.
What growing zone is Piñon Hills in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Piñon Hills?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Piñon Hills getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Piñon Hills.
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.