Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Sacramento reaches 100° on about 14 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 39°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 55°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 90% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from December to January, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Sacramento at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sacramento’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sacramento’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Sacramento feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 301 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 2 and the first by December 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sacramento Executive Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sacramento’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 27°. 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 19 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 61 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Sacramento 5 Ese, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sacramento
65% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Sacramento Executive Airport.
Living with Sacramento’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
301 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 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 Dec 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 102 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sacramento from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sacramento and its neighbors
North Highlands the hottest July afternoons (95°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sacramento’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento, CA | 39° | 94° | 19" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Del Rio, TX | 40° | 98° | 19" | 0.2" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
| Chaparral, NM | 31° | 95° | 9" | 0.0" |
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 Sacramento averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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. In a city of 536,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Sacramento compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sacramento’s place among California’s.
Sacramento weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sacramento’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sacramento 5 Ese, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 39° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 43° – 52° |
| February | 62° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 45° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 50° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 55° – 65° |
| May | 81° | 53° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 60° – 74° |
| June | 89° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 94° | 60° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| August | 93° | 60° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| September | 89° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 70° – 77° |
| October | 79° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 66° | 44° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 57° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 44° – 53° |
| Year | 76° | 50° | 18.7" | 0.0" | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 60° to 74°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sacramento’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 Sacramento’s center.
- Snow: Sacramento 5 Ese, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sacramento Executive Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Sacramento’s climate
What is the weather like in Sacramento?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sacramento in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 15 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Sacramento get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Sacramento 5 Ese, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sacramento?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 60°. About 76 days a year reach 90° and 14 reach 100° (Sacramento Executive Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Sacramento?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 2 and the first fall frost by December 2, about 301 frost-free days, at Sacramento Executive Airport.
What growing zone is Sacramento in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sacramento?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sacramento getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sacramento.
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.