Photo: Rneches · CC BY 2.5Topanga reaches 100° on about 14 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Topanga at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Topanga’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Topanga’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Topanga feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 14 days a year reach 100°
And 76 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Northridge Cal State, CA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 400 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Topanga’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 38°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 20 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 34 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Topanga Patrol Fc-6, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Topanga
43% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Northridge Cal State, CA.
Living with Topanga’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 5, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 14 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. 52 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Topanga from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (55%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Topanga and its neighbors
Calabasas has the coldest January nights next door (46°, 2° colder) and Calabasas the hottest July afternoons (86°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Topanga’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topanga, CA | 48° | 84° | 20" | 0.0" |
| Ewa Beach, HI | 62° | 87° | 17" | 0.0" |
| Green, OR | 37° | 86° | 32" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
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 Topanga averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in all but 129 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 Topanga compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Topanga’s place among California’s.
Topanga weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Topanga’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Topanga Patrol Fc-6, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 48° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| February | 65° | 47° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| March | 68° | 48° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 66° |
| April | 70° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| May | 73° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| June | 78° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 84° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 87° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 84° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 78° | 57° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| November | 72° | 52° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| December | 65° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| Year | 74° | 54° | 20.3" | 0.0" | 34 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Topanga’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 Topanga’s center.
- Snow: Topanga Patrol Fc-6, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Northridge Cal State, CA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 400 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 Topanga’s climate
What is the weather like in Topanga?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Topanga in winter?
February nights average 47°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.6 a year on average). In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Topanga get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Topanga Patrol Fc-6, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Topanga?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 61°. About 76 days a year reach 90° and 14 reach 100° (Northridge Cal State, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Topanga?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 18% of winters at Northridge Cal State, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Topanga in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 38°.
What is the best time of year to visit Topanga?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Topanga getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 129 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Topanga.
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.