Condominium 1 · Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Sea Ranch
January mornings start at about 43°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 92% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in January. The heating season runs December: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Sea Ranch at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sea Ranch’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sea Ranch’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Sea Ranch feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Ross, CA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sea Ranch’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 39 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sea Ranch
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Ft Ross, CA.
Living with Sea Ranch’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 9 winters in 10, 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 and October. 10 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sea Ranch from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (61%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sea Ranch and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sea Ranch yet.
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 Sea Ranch averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Sea Ranch compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sea Ranch’s place among California’s.
Sea Ranch weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sea Ranch’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 43° | 7.5" | 47° – 56° |
| February | 58° | 44° | 7.2" | 46° – 57° |
| March | 59° | 44° | 5.8" | 46° – 58° |
| April | 60° | 45° | 2.9" | 47° – 56° |
| May | 63° | 47° | 1.2" | 50° – 59° |
| June | 66° | 50° | 0.4" | 54° – 62° |
| July | 67° | 51° | 0.0" | 56° – 62° |
| August | 68° | 52° | 0.0" | 57° – 64° |
| September | 68° | 51° | 0.2" | 56° – 63° |
| October | 66° | 49° | 1.8" | 54° – 64° |
| November | 61° | 45° | 4.1" | 46° – 56° |
| December | 57° | 43° | 8.3" | 47° – 54° |
| Year | 62° | 47° | 39.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Sea Ranch’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 Sea Ranch’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Ross, CA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Sea Ranch’s climate
What is the weather like in Sea Ranch?
A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 43°. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 42 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sea Ranch in winter?
December nights average 43°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How hot does it get in Sea Ranch?
July, with a typical high of 67°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Ft Ross, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Sea Ranch?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 87% of winters at Ft Ross, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Sea Ranch in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sea Ranch?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sea Ranch getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sea Ranch.
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.