Whitewater has some of the warmest summer afternoons among U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 41°. A year here swings 62° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 96% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly February 25 to December 15.
A year in Whitewater at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Whitewater’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Whitewater’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Whitewater feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 297 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 25 and the first by December 15. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hemet, CA, 18 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Morongo Valley N, CA, 13 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Whitewater’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. 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 12 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Whitewater
52% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Morongo Valley N, CA.
Living with Whitewater’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
297 frost-free days in zone 10a. The last frost comes by Feb 25 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April and November. 23 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Whitewater from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Whitewater and its neighbors
Palm Springs the hottest July afternoons (106°, 4° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Whitewater averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Whitewater compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Whitewater’s place among California’s.
Whitewater weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Whitewater’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 41° | 2.8" | 49° – 60° |
| February | 68° | 43° | 2.9" | 48° – 62° |
| March | 73° | 47° | 1.8" | 52° – 67° |
| April | 79° | 50° | 0.6" | 59° – 68° |
| May | 86° | 56° | 0.2" | 64° – 77° |
| June | 96° | 62° | 0.0" | 72° – 83° |
| July | 101° | 68° | 0.2" | 79° – 89° |
| August | 102° | 69° | 0.1" | 82° – 89° |
| September | 95° | 64° | 0.2" | 76° – 84° |
| October | 85° | 55° | 0.5" | 66° – 76° |
| November | 74° | 46° | 0.7" | 52° – 65° |
| December | 65° | 39° | 1.8" | 47° – 58° |
| Year | 82° | 53° | 11.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 67°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Whitewater’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 Whitewater’s center.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Morongo Valley N, CA, 13 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Hemet, CA, 18 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Whitewater’s climate
What is the weather like in Whitewater?
A typical July afternoon reaches 101°, a January night drops to 41°. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 108 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Whitewater in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 13 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How hot does it get in Whitewater?
July, with a typical high of 101° and a low of 68°. About 121 days a year reach 90° and 41 reach 100° (Morongo Valley N, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Whitewater?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 25 and the first fall frost by December 15, about 297 frost-free days, at Morongo Valley N, CA.
What growing zone is Whitewater in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Whitewater?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Whitewater getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Whitewater.
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.