Tomales Presbyterian Church and Cemetery · Photo: Chris06 · CC0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Tomales
Midwinter brings lows of about 44°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 93% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Long walks are most pleasant from May to October, when afternoons reach 63–69°.
A year in Tomales at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tomales’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tomales’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Tomales 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 Bodega 6 Wsw, CA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tomales’ center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
About 38 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Tomales
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Bodega 6 Wsw, CA.
Living with Tomales’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. 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: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tomales from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tomales and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tomales 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 Tomales averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Tomales compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tomales’ place among California’s.
Tomales weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tomales’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 44° | 7.2" | 47° – 54° |
| February | 58° | 45° | 7.1" | 47° – 56° |
| March | 59° | 46° | 5.0" | 47° – 57° |
| April | 61° | 47° | 2.6" | 50° – 57° |
| May | 63° | 49° | 1.2" | 52° – 60° |
| June | 66° | 50° | 0.3" | 55° – 61° |
| July | 67° | 52° | 0.0" | 56° – 62° |
| August | 68° | 53° | 0.1" | 58° – 64° |
| September | 69° | 53° | 0.1" | 57° – 64° |
| October | 67° | 51° | 1.8" | 56° – 65° |
| November | 61° | 47° | 4.1" | 48° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 44° | 8.1" | 47° – 55° |
| Year | 63° | 48° | 37.6" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 57°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Tomales’ 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 Tomales’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bodega 6 Wsw, CA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower; 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 Tomales’ climate
What is the weather like in Tomales?
A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 44°. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 41 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tomales in winter?
January nights average 44°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.6 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How hot does it get in Tomales?
July, with a typical high of 67°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Bodega 6 Wsw, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Tomales?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 18% of winters at Bodega 6 Wsw, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Tomales in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tomales?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tomales getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tomales.
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.