Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Valley Ford
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 41° on average. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 90% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to January, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Valley Ford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Valley Ford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Valley Ford’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Valley Ford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 240 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 20 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from Graton, CA, 8 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Valley Ford’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 27°. 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 39 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 Valley Ford
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Graton, CA.
Living with Valley Ford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
240 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Valley Ford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Valley Ford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Valley Ford 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 Valley Ford averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Valley Ford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Valley Ford’s place among California’s.
Valley Ford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Valley Ford’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 41° | 7.6" | 46° – 53° |
| February | 60° | 42° | 7.4" | 47° – 56° |
| March | 62° | 43° | 5.2" | 47° – 57° |
| April | 64° | 44° | 2.6" | 50° – 57° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 1.3" | 53° – 61° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 0.3" | 58° – 64° |
| July | 73° | 51° | 0.0" | 59° – 65° |
| August | 75° | 51° | 0.1" | 60° – 67° |
| September | 76° | 50° | 0.2" | 60° – 67° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 1.9" | 57° – 65° |
| November | 64° | 44° | 4.2" | 48° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 41° | 8.2" | 46° – 54° |
| Year | 67° | 46° | 38.8" |
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 Valley Ford’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 Valley Ford’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Graton, CA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Valley Ford’s climate
What is the weather like in Valley Ford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 41°. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 150 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Valley Ford in winter?
December nights average 41°. About 43 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How hot does it get in Valley Ford?
July, with a typical high of 73° and a low of 51°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Graton, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Valley Ford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 20 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 240 frost-free days, at Graton, CA.
What growing zone is Valley Ford in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Valley Ford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Valley Ford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Valley Ford.
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.