Climate Comfort Score
80/100
Excellent
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 74°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
EL Centro, CA Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 74°F
- Avg annual temp
- 80/100
- Comfort score
- 2.5"
- Annual precip
- 358d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for EL Centro
EL Centro, California averages 74°F a year and scores 80/100 on the comfort index - excellent, milder than 82% of U.S. cities.
- 74°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 80/100
- comfort score, milder than 82% of U.S. cities
- 2.5"
- yearly precipitation total
- 358 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
74°F (24°C)
Avg High
89°F
Avg Low
60°F
Annual Precip
2.5"
Annual Snow
0.0"
Comfort Score
80/100
Excellent
Avg Annual Temperature
74°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
2.5"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (EL Centro) 80.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Excellent for the EL Centro area.
How EL Centro compares to every U.S. city
EL Centro's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
80 Top 18% higher than 82% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for EL Centro
MethodologyZooming out from EL Centro's own normal, the chart below shows how the U.S. land temperature anomaly has tracked the global mean since 1900 - the most recent decade sits warmer than the 30-year mean shown here.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71°F (22°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| February | 74°F (23°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| March | 80°F (27°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 0.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.8 |
| April | 86°F (30°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 10.8 |
| May | 94°F (34°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 23.1 |
| June | 103°F (39°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 87°F (30°C) | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 29.3 |
| July | 107°F (42°C) | 78°F (26°C) | 93°F (34°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 31.0 |
| August | 107°F (42°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 93°F (34°C) | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 30.9 |
| September | 102°F (39°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 88°F (31°C) | 0.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 29.0 |
| October | 92°F (33°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 77°F (25°C) | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 19.9 |
| November | 79°F (26°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.5 |
| December | 70°F (21°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 0.4 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.4"
1.7 days with precipitation
February 0.4"
2.5 days with precipitation
March 0.3"
1.7 days with precipitation
April 0.1"
0.6 days with precipitation
May 0.0"
0.3 days with precipitation
June 0.0"
0.1 days with precipitation
July 0.1"
0.6 days with precipitation
August 0.2"
1.1 days with precipitation
September 0.3"
0.9 days with precipitation
October 0.2"
0.7 days with precipitation
November 0.2"
0.9 days with precipitation
December 0.4"
1.9 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
December 27
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
January 3
50% probability date
Growing Season
358 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
834
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
4,247
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
August
Coldest Month
December
What EL Centro's climate means for you
EL Centro runs 74°F a year - peaking in August, coldest in December.
- Gardeners get about 358 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near January 3 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 834 heating and 4,247 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: EL Centro, CA
In EL Centro, California, the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals put the annual average temperature at 74°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 89°F to a mean daily low of 60°F. August is typically the warmest month of the year, while December is the coldest. As thirty-year averages computed from station USC00042713, these numbers smooth out year-to-year noise into a working baseline for a typical month.
EL Centro averages 2.5 inches of precipitation a year, with negligible snowfall, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 358 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near January 3 and the first fall freeze near December 27. As for energy demand, 834 heating degree days and 4,247 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, EL Centro scores 80/100 (Excellent), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. For planning purposes, look to the monthly tables above: shoulder seasons bring the mildest highs and lows, summer brings August-driven heat, and deep winter brings December-driven cold. Treat every figure here as a thirty-year average rather than a forecast - individual years routinely run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in EL Centro, CA? ▼
The average annual temperature in EL Centro, California is 74°F. The warmest month averages 107°F (42°C) and the coldest averages 43°F (6°C).
How much rain does EL Centro get? ▼
EL Centro receives 2.5 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for EL Centro? ▼
EL Centro has a climate comfort score of 80/100 (Excellent), milder than 82% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in EL Centro? ▼
EL Centro has approximately 358 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around January 3 and the first fall freeze around December 27.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in EL Centro? ▼
EL Centro has 834 heating degree days and 4,247 cooling degree days annually, a cooling-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this EL Centro climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00042713 near EL Centro.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00042713. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.