Photo: Mark James Miller · CC BY-SA 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Yosemite Valley than on 74% of U.S. towns: 36 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 24°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 72% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, most of all in January. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Yosemite Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Yosemite Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Yosemite Valley’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Yosemite Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 186 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from Yosemite Park Hq, CA, 0.9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Yosemite Valley’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 36 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 Yosemite Valley
86% 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 Yosemite Park Hq, CA.
Living with Yosemite Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
186 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Yosemite Valley 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 →Yosemite Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Yosemite Valley 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 Yosemite Valley averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Yosemite Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Yosemite Valley’s place among California’s.
Yosemite Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Yosemite Valley’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 24° | 6.6" | 30° – 41° |
| February | 49° | 25° | 6.0" | 27° – 44° |
| March | 53° | 27° | 5.5" | 31° – 48° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 3.1" | 38° – 50° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 2.0" | 42° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 45° | 0.6" | 53° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 51° | 0.2" | 63° – 70° |
| August | 83° | 49° | 0.1" | 62° – 70° |
| September | 77° | 43° | 0.4" | 55° – 64° |
| October | 66° | 35° | 1.8" | 46° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 29° | 3.6" | 32° – 48° |
| December | 46° | 24° | 6.1" | 30° – 41° |
| Year | 63° | 35° | 36.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Yosemite Valley’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 Yosemite Valley’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Yosemite Park Hq, CA, 0.9 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 Yosemite Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Yosemite Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 24°. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Yosemite Valley in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How hot does it get in Yosemite Valley?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 51°. About 46 days a year reach 90° (Yosemite Park Hq, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Yosemite Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 186 frost-free days, at Yosemite Park Hq, CA.
What growing zone is Yosemite Valley in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Yosemite Valley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Yosemite Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Yosemite Valley.
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.