Photo: Allie_Caulfield · CC BY 2.0Solvang’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 82°
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 39°.
A year in Solvang at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Solvang’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Solvang’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Solvang feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 16 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Living with Solvang’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9a.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 4.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Solvang from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Solvang and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Solvang 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 Solvang averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in all but 104 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 Solvang compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Solvang’s place among California’s.
Solvang weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Solvang’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 39° | 3.5" | 48° – 57° |
| February | 66° | 41° | 3.8" | 48° – 59° |
| March | 68° | 43° | 2.9" | 49° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 44° | 1.0" | 54° – 62° |
| May | 74° | 48° | 0.3" | 57° – 66° |
| June | 78° | 51° | 0.1" | 61° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 54° | 0.0" | 65° – 72° |
| August | 83° | 54° | 0.0" | 66° – 71° |
| September | 82° | 53° | 0.1" | 64° – 72° |
| October | 78° | 48° | 0.6" | 59° – 69° |
| November | 71° | 42° | 1.2" | 50° – 60° |
| December | 65° | 38° | 2.4" | 49° – 55° |
| Year | 73° | 46° | 16.0" |
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°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Solvang’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 Solvang’s center.
- 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 Solvang’s climate
What is the weather like in Solvang?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 39°. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Solvang in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 19 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How hot does it get in Solvang?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 54°. About 86 days a year reach 90° and 19 reach 100°.
What growing zone is Solvang in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Solvang?
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 Solvang getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 104 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Solvang.
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.