Photo: Soundsfancy · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Pismo Beach
On a normal January night the air cools to about 46°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Garden chairs stay out from March to January, the months with highs of 62–70°.
A year in Pismo Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pismo Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pismo Beach’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Pismo Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pismo Beach, CA, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pismo Beach’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 34°. 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 17 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 57 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Pismo Beach, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Pismo Beach
95% 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 Pismo Beach, CA.
Living with Pismo Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 5 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. 7.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pismo Beach from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pismo Beach and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Pismo Beach in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Pismo Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pismo Beach, CA | 46° | 68° | 17" | 0.0" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Pismo Beach averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
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 Pismo Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pismo Beach’s place among California’s.
Pismo Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pismo Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pismo Beach, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| February | 62° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| March | 63° | 48° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 64° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 64° | 51° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 66° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| July | 68° | 56° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| August | 69° | 57° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| September | 70° | 56° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 70° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| November | 66° | 50° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| December | 62° | 46° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| Year | 65° | 51° | 17.2" | 0.0" | 57 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 61°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Pismo Beach’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 Pismo Beach’s center.
- Snow: Pismo Beach, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pismo Beach, CA, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Pismo Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Pismo Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 68°, a January night drops to 46°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 53 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pismo Beach in winter?
December nights average 46°. About 2 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Pismo Beach get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Pismo Beach, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Pismo Beach?
July, with a typical high of 68° and a low of 56°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Pismo Beach, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Pismo Beach?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 54% of winters at Pismo Beach, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Pismo Beach in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 34°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pismo Beach?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, 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 Pismo Beach 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 Pismo Beach.
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.