Summer afternoons in Sage are warmer than in 94% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 40°. Seasons differ by 58°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 93% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from January to May and October to November, the months with highs of 64–81°.
A year in Sage at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sage’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sage’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Sage feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 315 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 31 and the first by December 10. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hemet, CA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 650 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from San Jacinto, CA, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sage’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. 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 15 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 35 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at San Jacinto, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sage
50% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. 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 San Jacinto, CA.
Living with Sage’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
315 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 31 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, October and November. 44 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sage from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (85%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sage and its neighbors
Hemet has the coldest January nights next door (38°, 2° colder) and Hemet the hottest July afternoons (97°, 2° 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 Sage’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sage, CA | 40° | 95° | 15" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Del Rio, TX | 40° | 98° | 19" | 0.2" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Medford, OR | 32° | 92° | 19" | 3.4" |
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 Sage averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Sage compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sage’s place among California’s.
Sage weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sage’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from San Jacinto, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| February | 64° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| March | 68° | 42° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| April | 72° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 50° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 88° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| July | 95° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| August | 96° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| September | 90° | 60° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 81° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 71° | 45° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| December | 63° | 38° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| Year | 78° | 49° | 15.2" | 0.0" | 35 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 60°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Sage’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 Sage’s center.
- Snow: San Jacinto, CA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: San Jacinto, CA, 14 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Hemet, CA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 650 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 Sage’s climate
What is the weather like in Sage?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sage in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 13 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Sage get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at San Jacinto, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sage?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 61°. About 121 days a year reach 90° and 41 reach 100° (San Jacinto, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Sage?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 31 and the first fall frost by December 10, about 315 frost-free days, at San Jacinto, CA.
What growing zone is Sage in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sage?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sage getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sage.
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.