Photo: Steven Baltakatei Sandoval · CC BY-SA 4.0Stanford’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Stanford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stanford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stanford’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Stanford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 310 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 1 and the first by December 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Palo Alto, CA, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stanford’s 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 21 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 56 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Palo Alto, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Stanford
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Palo Alto, CA.
Living with Stanford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
310 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 1 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 7.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Stanford from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Stanford and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Stanford in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Stanford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford, CA | 41° | 79° | 21" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Poulsbo, WA | 35° | 75° | 33" | 3.0" |
| Winston, OR | 37° | 86° | 33" | 0.0" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Stanford averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Stanford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stanford’s place among California’s.
Stanford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stanford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Palo Alto, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 41° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 54° |
| February | 62° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| March | 65° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| April | 68° | 46° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| May | 72° | 49° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| June | 77° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| August | 79° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| September | 79° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| October | 75° | 49° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| November | 65° | 44° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| December | 59° | 40° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| Year | 70° | 48° | 20.9" | 0.0" | 56 | 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 60°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Stanford’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 Stanford’s center.
- Snow: Palo Alto, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Palo Alto, CA, 1.9 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 Stanford’s climate
What is the weather like in Stanford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, 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 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stanford in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 14 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Stanford get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Palo Alto, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Stanford?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Palo Alto, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Stanford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 1 and the first fall frost by December 7, about 310 frost-free days, at Palo Alto, CA.
What growing zone is Stanford 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 Stanford?
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 Stanford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stanford.
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.