Rancho Las Palmas · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0Spreckels sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 41°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in January and the lightest in July. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 94% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from January to November brings highs of 63–76°.
A year in Spreckels at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Spreckels’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spreckels’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Spreckels 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 Salinas Municipal Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Spreckels’ center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. 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 14 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 58 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Salinas #2, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Spreckels
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Salinas Municipal Airport.
Living with Spreckels’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. 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: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spreckels from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Spreckels and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Spreckels yet.
Climates most like Spreckels’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreckels, CA | 41° | 73° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Bethany, OR | 35° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 14° | 79° | 14" | 15" |
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 Spreckels averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Spreckels compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spreckels’ place among California’s.
Spreckels weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spreckels’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Salinas #2, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| February | 64° | 42° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| March | 66° | 43° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| May | 70° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| June | 72° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| July | 73° | 53° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| August | 74° | 53° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 75° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| November | 68° | 43° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| December | 62° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 14.2" | 0.0" | 58 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Spreckels’ 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 Spreckels’ center.
- Snow: Salinas #2, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Salinas Municipal Airport, 3 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 Spreckels’ climate
What is the weather like in Spreckels?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 128 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Spreckels in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 6 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Spreckels get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Salinas #2, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Spreckels?
July, with a typical high of 73° and a low of 53°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Salinas Municipal Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Spreckels?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 90% of winters at Salinas Municipal Airport, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Spreckels in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Spreckels?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, 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 Spreckels getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Spreckels.
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.