Saratoga Foothill Club · Photo: EugeneZelenko · CC BY-SA 4.0Saratoga’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Saratoga at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Saratoga’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Saratoga’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Saratoga feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 310 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 2 and the first by December 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Los Gatos, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Saratoga’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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 23 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 56 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Los Gatos, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Saratoga
80% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Los Gatos, CA.
Living with Saratoga’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
310 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October and November. 17 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Saratoga from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Saratoga and its neighbors
San Jose the hottest July afternoons (86°, 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 Saratoga’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saratoga, CA | 39° | 84° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Green, OR | 37° | 86° | 32" | 0.0" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Felida, WA | 35° | 81° | 42" | 0.8" |
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 Saratoga averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in August (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Saratoga compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Saratoga’s place among California’s.
Saratoga weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Saratoga’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Los Gatos, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 39° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| February | 63° | 41° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| April | 70° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 84° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 84° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| September | 83° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| October | 77° | 48° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| November | 66° | 42° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 59° | 39° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| Year | 72° | 46° | 22.7" | 0.0" | 56 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Saratoga’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 Saratoga’s center.
- Snow: Los Gatos, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Los Gatos, CA, 4 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 Saratoga’s climate
What is the weather like in Saratoga?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Saratoga in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 13 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Saratoga get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Los Gatos, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Saratoga?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 54°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Los Gatos, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Saratoga?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 2 and the first fall frost by December 6, about 310 frost-free days, at Los Gatos, CA.
What growing zone is Saratoga in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Saratoga?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Saratoga getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Saratoga.
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.