Space Launch Complex 10 · Photo: U.S. Air Force · Public domainVandenberg AFB has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 44°. Seasons differ by 30°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 93% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from January to December, when highs sit at 63–74°.
A year in Vandenberg AFB at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vandenberg AFB’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vandenberg AFB’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Vandenberg AFB feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lompoc, CA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vandenberg AFB’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 31°. 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 14 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 40 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Salsipuedes Gaging Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Vandenberg AFB
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Lompoc, CA.
Living with Vandenberg AFB’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 8 winters in 10, 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, July, August, September, October, November and December. 30 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vandenberg AFB from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vandenberg AFB and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Vandenberg AFB yet.
Climates most like Vandenberg AFB’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vandenberg AFB, CA | 44° | 71° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Cedar Mill, OR | 36° | 81° | 39" | 3.6" |
| Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 14° | 79° | 14" | 15" |
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 Vandenberg AFB averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Vandenberg AFB compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vandenberg AFB’s place among California’s.
Vandenberg AFB weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vandenberg AFB’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Salsipuedes Gaging Stn, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| February | 63° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| March | 64° | 46° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| April | 66° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| May | 67° | 49° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| June | 69° | 52° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| July | 71° | 54° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| August | 72° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 74° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 73° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| November | 68° | 47° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| December | 63° | 44° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| Year | 68° | 49° | 14.4" | 0.0" | 40 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 60°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Vandenberg AFB’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 Vandenberg AFB’s center.
- Snow: Salsipuedes Gaging Stn, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lompoc, CA, 6 miles from the town’s center, 360 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 Vandenberg AFB’s climate
What is the weather like in Vandenberg AFB?
A typical July afternoon reaches 71°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 100 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vandenberg AFB in winter?
December nights average 44°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Vandenberg AFB get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Salsipuedes Gaging Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Vandenberg AFB?
July, with a typical high of 71° and a low of 54°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Lompoc, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Vandenberg AFB?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 81% of winters at Lompoc, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Vandenberg AFB in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Vandenberg AFB?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Vandenberg AFB getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vandenberg AFB.
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.