Photo: Toglenn · CC BY-SA 4.0Twentynine Palms reaches 100° on about 89 days a year, more than all but 82 U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 39°. February is the wettest month here, with about 66 times the rain of June. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than almost every U.S. town. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Twentynine Palms at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Twentynine Palms’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Twentynine Palms’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Twentynine Palms feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 321 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 24 and the first by December 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Twentynine Palms, CA, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Twentynine Palms’ center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 4 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 22 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.8" in a normal year at Joshua Tree, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Twentynine Palms
30% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Twentynine Palms, CA.
Living with Twentynine Palms’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
321 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Jan 24 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April and November. 139 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Twentynine Palms from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Twentynine Palms and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Twentynine Palms yet.
Climates most like Twentynine Palms’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twentynine Palms, CA | 39° | 103° | 4" | 0.8" |
| Las Vegas, NV | 35° | 104° | 6" | 0.0" |
| Avra Valley, AZ | 39° | 104° | 10" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Monahans, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 0.7" |
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 Twentynine Palms averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Twentynine Palms compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Twentynine Palms’ place among California’s.
Twentynine Palms weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Twentynine Palms’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Joshua Tree, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 39° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| February | 67° | 41° | 0.7" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| March | 74° | 46° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| April | 80° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| May | 89° | 59° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 81° |
| June | 99° | 67° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 77° – 88° |
| July | 103° | 75° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 85° – 92° |
| August | 102° | 73° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 85° – 92° |
| September | 96° | 66° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| October | 84° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| November | 72° | 44° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| December | 61° | 37° | 0.6" | 0.6" | 4 | 1 | 45° – 54° |
| Year | 83° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.8" | 22 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 63°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Twentynine Palms’ 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 Twentynine Palms’ center.
- Snow: Joshua Tree, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Twentynine Palms, CA, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Twentynine Palms’ climate
What is the weather like in Twentynine Palms?
A typical July afternoon reaches 103°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 87 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Twentynine Palms in winter?
December nights average 37°. About 17 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Twentynine Palms get?
About 0.8 inches in a normal winter at Joshua Tree, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Twentynine Palms?
July, with a typical high of 103° and a low of 75°. About 154 days a year reach 90° and 89 reach 100° (Twentynine Palms, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Twentynine Palms?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 24 and the first fall frost by December 10, about 321 frost-free days, at Twentynine Palms, CA.
What growing zone is Twentynine Palms in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Twentynine Palms?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Twentynine Palms getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Twentynine Palms.
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.