Wawona Hotel and Pavilion · Photo: Rennett Stowe from USA · CC BY 2.0Wawona’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 83°
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 30°.
A year in Wawona at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wawona’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wawona’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Wawona feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA, 2.2 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wawona’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 40 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Wawona
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA.
Living with Wawona’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 4.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wawona from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wawona and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wawona 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 Wawona averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Wawona compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wawona’s place among California’s.
Wawona weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wawona’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 30° | 7.7" | 35° – 46° |
| February | 50° | 30° | 7.0" | 31° – 47° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 6.2" | 33° – 51° |
| April | 58° | 34° | 3.4" | 40° – 52° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 2.2" | 44° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 49° | 0.6" | 56° – 68° |
| July | 83° | 56° | 0.1" | 65° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 56° | 0.1" | 65° – 74° |
| September | 78° | 51° | 0.5" | 60° – 68° |
| October | 67° | 42° | 2.4" | 50° – 61° |
| November | 56° | 35° | 3.7" | 35° – 52° |
| December | 48° | 30° | 6.4" | 35° – 45° |
| Year | 64° | 40° | 40.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 62°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Wawona’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 Wawona’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 800 ft higher; 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 Wawona’s climate
What is the weather like in Wawona?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 30°. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wawona in winter?
December nights average 30°. About 159 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How hot does it get in Wawona?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 56°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Wawona?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 137 frost-free days, at So Entrance Yosemite Np, CA.
What growing zone is Wawona in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wawona?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Wawona getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wawona.
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.