Photo: MARELBU · CC BY 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Soledad: 13 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 39°. A year here swings 45° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its January nights stay gentler than in 87% of U.S. towns. From February to November, highs of 65–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Soledad at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Soledad’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Soledad’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Soledad feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 271 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 23 and the first by November 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at King City, CA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Soledad’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 27°. 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 13 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 51 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at King City, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Soledad
80% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at King City, CA.
Living with Soledad’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
271 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 23 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 4.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Soledad from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Soledad and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Soledad yet.
Climates most like Soledad’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soledad, CA | 39° | 81° | 13" | 0.0" |
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
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 Soledad averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
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 Soledad compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Soledad’s place among California’s.
Soledad weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Soledad’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from King City, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| February | 65° | 41° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 42° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 44° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| May | 75° | 48° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| June | 79° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| August | 82° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 83° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| October | 78° | 47° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 69° | 41° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 62° | 38° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 53° |
| Year | 73° | 46° | 12.7" | 0.0" | 51 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 61°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Soledad’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 Soledad’s center.
- Snow: King City, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: King City, CA, 19 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 Soledad’s climate
What is the weather like in Soledad?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, 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 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Soledad in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 27 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Soledad get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at King City, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Soledad?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 54°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (King City, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Soledad?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 23 and the first fall frost by November 22, about 271 frost-free days, at King City, CA.
What growing zone is Soledad in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Soledad?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, 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 Soledad 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 Soledad.
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.