Photo: Hey Paul from State College, PA, USA · CC BY 2.0Shandon reaches 100° on about 29 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Shandon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shandon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shandon’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Shandon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 213 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Paso Robles Muni Airport, 14 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shandon’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 43 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Paso Robles Muni Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Shandon
74% 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 Paso Robles Muni Airport.
Living with Shandon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
213 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shandon from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shandon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Shandon yet.
Climates most like Shandon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shandon, CA | 35° | 94° | 16" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Fort Stockton, TX | 33° | 96° | 13" | 1.4" |
| Chaparral, NM | 31° | 95° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
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 Shandon averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 Shandon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shandon’s place among California’s.
Shandon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shandon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Paso Robles Muni Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 35° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| February | 63° | 37° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| March | 68° | 40° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| April | 73° | 42° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 81° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| June | 89° | 52° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| July | 94° | 56° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 95° | 56° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 90° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 80° | 45° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 69° | 38° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 60° | 34° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| Year | 77° | 44° | 15.8" | 0.0" | 43 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 60°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Shandon’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 Shandon’s center.
- Snow: Paso Robles Muni Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Paso Robles Muni Airport, 14 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Shandon’s climate
What is the weather like in Shandon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shandon in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 45 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Shandon get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Paso Robles Muni Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Shandon?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 56°. About 92 days a year reach 90° and 29 reach 100° (Paso Robles Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Shandon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 213 frost-free days, at Paso Robles Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Shandon in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shandon?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Shandon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shandon.
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.