Photo: Clotee Pridgen Alloc… · CC BY-SA 3.0Sand City’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 65°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Sand City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sand City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sand City’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Sand City 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 Monterey Wfo, CA, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sand City’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 17 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 72 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Monterey Wfo, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sand City
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from December through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Monterey Wfo, CA.
Living with Sand City’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 2, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sand City from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sand City and its neighbors
Seaside has the coldest January nights next door (42°, 2° colder) and Seaside the hottest July afternoons (68°, 3° 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 Sand City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand City, CA | 44° | 65° | 17" | 0.0" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Coos Bay, OR | 40° | 66° | 61" | 0.2" |
| 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 Sand City averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Sand City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sand City’s place among California’s.
Sand City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sand City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Monterey Wfo, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| February | 60° | 45° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| March | 61° | 46° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| April | 62° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| May | 63° | 50° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| June | 65° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| July | 65° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| August | 67° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| September | 68° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 68° | 51° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| November | 64° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| December | 60° | 43° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| Year | 63° | 49° | 16.5" | 0.0" | 72 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Sand City’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 Sand City’s center.
- Snow: Monterey Wfo, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Monterey Wfo, CA, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher; 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 Sand City’s climate
What is the weather like in Sand City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 65°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 23 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sand City 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 47°.
How much snow does Sand City get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Monterey Wfo, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sand City?
July, with a typical high of 65° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Monterey Wfo, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Sand City?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 47% of winters at Monterey Wfo, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Sand City 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 Sand City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), 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 Sand City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sand City.
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.