Photo: Davishan99 · CC BY-SA 3.0Temecula’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Temecula at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Temecula’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Temecula’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Temecula feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fallbrook 5 Ne, CA, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Temecula’s center in zone 10a: 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.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 13 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 32 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Elsinore, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Temecula
49% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Fallbrook 5 Ne, CA.
Living with Temecula’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 6, 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, October, November and December. 51 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Temecula from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Temecula and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Temecula in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Temecula’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temecula, CA | 43° | 91° | 13" | 0.2" |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | 32° | 91° | 14" | 0.4" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Finley, WA | 29° | 91° | 9" | 2.0" |
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 Temecula averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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. In a city of 115,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Temecula compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Temecula’s place among California’s.
Temecula weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Temecula’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elsinore, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 43° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| February | 67° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| March | 70° | 46° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 65° |
| April | 74° | 48° | 0.9" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 78° | 52° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 56° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| July | 91° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 92° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| September | 89° | 60° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 82° | 54° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 74° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| December | 66° | 42° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| Year | 78° | 51° | 12.7" | 0.2" | 32 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 64°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Temecula’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 Temecula’s center.
- Snow: Elsinore, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fallbrook 5 Ne, CA, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Temecula’s climate
What is the weather like in Temecula?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Temecula in winter?
December nights average 42°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.2 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Temecula get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Elsinore, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Temecula?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 61°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Fallbrook 5 Ne, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Temecula?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 17% of winters at Fallbrook 5 Ne, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Temecula in?
Zone 10a 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 Temecula?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Temecula getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Temecula.
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.