Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Piedmont
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 42° on average. In January, nights here are milder than in 91% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to January, which average under 50°.
A year in Piedmont at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Piedmont’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Piedmont’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Piedmont 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 Oakland Museum, CA, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Piedmont’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 22 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 68 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Upper San Leandro Filters, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Piedmont
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Oakland Museum, CA.
Living with Piedmont’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 30, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 3.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Piedmont from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Piedmont and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Piedmont yet.
Climates most like Piedmont’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont, CA | 42° | 76° | 22" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Camano, WA | 35° | 73° | 30" | 2.5" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Hayden, ID | 25° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
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 Piedmont averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Piedmont compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Piedmont’s place among California’s.
Piedmont weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Piedmont’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Upper San Leandro Filters, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 42° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| February | 61° | 45° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| March | 64° | 46° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| April | 67° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| May | 70° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 75° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| July | 76° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| August | 77° | 56° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 77° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| October | 73° | 52° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 47° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| December | 57° | 43° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| Year | 68° | 49° | 22.4" | 0.0" | 68 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 60°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Piedmont’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 Piedmont’s center.
- Snow: Upper San Leandro Filters, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oakland Museum, CA, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 Piedmont’s climate
What is the weather like in Piedmont?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Piedmont in winter?
January nights average 42°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.1 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Piedmont get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Upper San Leandro Filters, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Piedmont?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 55°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Oakland Museum, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Piedmont?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 3% of winters at Oakland Museum, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Piedmont in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Piedmont?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, 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 Piedmont getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Piedmont.
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.