Photo: Cbl62 at English Wikipedia (Original text: Cbl62) · CC BY-SA 3.0Nights stay kind in San Fernando each January, milder than in 92% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 90°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 49°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 92% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from October to June brings highs of 66–84°.
A year in San Fernando at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about San Fernando’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with San Fernando’s place in California beside it.
What a year in San Fernando feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Burbank Valley Pump Plt, CA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Northridge Cal State, CA, 6 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts San Fernando’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 33°. 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 16 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 39 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Pacoima Dam Fc33a-e, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in San Fernando
43% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Northridge Cal State, CA.
Living with San Fernando’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 5, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in San Fernando from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →San Fernando and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around San Fernando yet.
Climates most like San Fernando’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Fernando, CA | 44° | 90° | 16" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
| Finley, WA | 29° | 91° | 9" | 2.0" |
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 San Fernando averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in all but 122 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 San Fernando compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with San Fernando’s place among California’s.
San Fernando weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at San Fernando’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pacoima Dam Fc33a-e, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 44° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| February | 68° | 44° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| March | 70° | 46° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 66° |
| April | 74° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 78° | 52° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| July | 90° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 91° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| September | 89° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 81° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 73° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| December | 66° | 43° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| Year | 77° | 51° | 16.4" | 0.0" | 39 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where San Fernando’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 San Fernando’s center.
- Snow: Pacoima Dam Fc33a-e, CA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Northridge Cal State, CA, 6 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Burbank Valley Pump Plt, CA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 450 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 San Fernando’s climate
What is the weather like in San Fernando?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in San Fernando in winter?
December nights average 43°. About 1 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does San Fernando get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Pacoima Dam Fc33a-e, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in San Fernando?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 61°. About 55 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Northridge Cal State, CA).
When is the first and last frost in San Fernando?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 18% of winters at Northridge Cal State, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is San Fernando in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 33°.
What is the best time of year to visit San Fernando?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is San Fernando getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 122 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in San Fernando.
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.