Photo: Don Ramey Logan · CC BY 4.0Trabuco Canyon sits near the top of U.S. towns for mild winters
Sunny July days climb to about 87°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 94% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.1° higher. The outdoor season runs from October to June, with highs of 66–81°.
A year in Trabuco Canyon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Trabuco Canyon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Trabuco Canyon’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Trabuco Canyon 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 Irvine Rch, CA, 8 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Trabuco Canyon’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 14 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 35 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Anaheim, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Trabuco Canyon
37% 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 Irvine Rch, CA.
Living with Trabuco Canyon’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 28, 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, October, November and December. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Trabuco Canyon from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (64%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Trabuco Canyon and its neighbors
Lake Forest has the coldest January nights next door (47°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Trabuco Canyon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trabuco Canyon, CA | 48° | 87° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Ewa Beach, HI | 62° | 87° | 17" | 0.0" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
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 Trabuco Canyon averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Trabuco Canyon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Trabuco Canyon’s place among California’s.
Trabuco Canyon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Trabuco Canyon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Anaheim, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| February | 66° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 65° |
| March | 68° | 48° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 66° |
| April | 71° | 49° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| May | 75° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| June | 81° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 87° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| August | 89° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 87° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 79° | 58° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| November | 72° | 53° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| December | 66° | 47° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| Year | 76° | 54° | 13.7" | 0.0" | 35 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 65°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Trabuco Canyon’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 Trabuco Canyon’s center.
- Snow: Anaheim, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Irvine Rch, CA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 860 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Trabuco Canyon’s climate
What is the weather like in Trabuco Canyon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Trabuco Canyon in winter?
December nights average 47°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.7 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 53°.
How much snow does Trabuco Canyon get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Anaheim, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Trabuco Canyon?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 62°. About 62 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Irvine Rch, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Trabuco Canyon?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 4% of winters at Irvine Rch, CA, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Trabuco Canyon 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 Trabuco Canyon?
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 Trabuco Canyon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Trabuco Canyon.
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.