Photo: Eric Shalov · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see softer January nights than West Athens
High summer brings afternoon highs near 81°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 95% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Garden chairs stay out from January to December, the months with highs of 68–83°.
A year in West Athens at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Athens’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Athens’ place in California beside it.
What a year in West Athens 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 NOAA’s station at Hawthorne Muni Airport, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Athens’ center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 39°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 13 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 28 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Palos Verdes Es Fc43d, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in West Athens
54% of the work is heating. 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 Hawthorne Muni Airport.
Living with West Athens’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost almost never comes, 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. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Athens from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Athens and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of West Athens in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like West Athens’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Athens, CA | 48° | 81° | 13" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Green, OR | 37° | 86° | 32" | 0.0" |
| Sequim, WA | 34° | 71° | 18" | 1.4" |
| Port Isabel, TX | 52° | 92° | 26" | 0.2" |
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 West Athens averaged 2.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in all but 129 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 West Athens compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Athens’ place among California’s.
West Athens weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Athens’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Palos Verdes Es Fc43d, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| February | 68° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| March | 69° | 51° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| April | 72° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 74° | 56° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| June | 77° | 60° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 81° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| September | 82° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| October | 78° | 58° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| November | 73° | 52° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| December | 68° | 47° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| Year | 74° | 55° | 13.0" | 0.0" | 28 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 55° to 67°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where West Athens’ 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 West Athens’ center.
- Snow: Palos Verdes Es Fc43d, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hawthorne Muni Airport, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 West Athens’ climate
What is the weather like in West Athens?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Athens in winter?
December nights average 47°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average). In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 55°.
How much snow does West Athens get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Palos Verdes Es Fc43d, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in West Athens?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 63°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Hawthorne Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in West Athens?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 0% of winters at Hawthorne Muni Airport, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is West Athens in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 39°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Athens?
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 West Athens getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 129 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Athens.
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.