Joshua Tree, California climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Joshua Tree's normal year runs from 36°F December nights to 102°F July afternoons, with 4.4 inches of precipitation and less than an inch of snow (0.8 in) a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 18.6°C, December lows of 2°C, July highs of 39°C, 112 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationJoshua Tree
- Station IDUSC00044405
- Location34.15°N 116.27°W
- Elevation2,563 ft (781 m)
- Population (census place)6,767
On October 23, the normal high in Joshua Tree is 80°F and the normal low 50°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 3%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Joshua Tree.
- Jan 60° 38°
- Feb 63° 39°
- Mar 70° 43°
- Apr 77° 47°
- May 86° 54°
- Jun 95° 61°
- Jul 102° 70°
- Aug 100° 70°
- Sep 93° 64°
- Oct 82° 52°
- Nov 69° 43°
- Dec 60° 36°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Joshua Tree each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 102°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 36°F. The most precipitation falls in January (1.17 in), the least in June (0.02 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60°F | 38°F | 49.1°F | 1.17 | 3 | <1 | 6 | 10 h 10 min |
| February | 63°F | 39°F | 51.3°F | 0.72 | 3 | <1 | 5 | 11 h |
| March | 70°F | 43°F | 56.2°F | 0.45 | 2 | <1 | 2 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 77°F | 47°F | 62.1°F | 0.20 | 2 | 3 | <1 | 13 h |
| May | 86°F | 54°F | 69.8°F | 0.11 | 1 | 11 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| June | 95°F | 61°F | 78.2°F | 0.02 | <1 | 25 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| July | 102°F | 70°F | 85.6°F | 0.27 | 2 | 30 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| August | 100°F | 70°F | 84.9°F | 0.37 | 2 | 30 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 93°F | 64°F | 78.2°F | 0.22 | 2 | 25 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 82°F | 52°F | 67.1°F | 0.25 | 1 | 6 | <1 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 69°F | 43°F | 56.0°F | 0.16 | 2 | <1 | 2 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 60°F | 36°F | 47.6°F | 0.46 | 4 | <1 | 9 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 80°F | 51°F | 65.5°F | 4.40 | 22 | 130 | 24 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16°C | 3°C | 9.5°C | 30 mm |
| February | 17°C | 4°C | 10.7°C | 18 mm |
| March | 21°C | 6°C | 13.4°C | 11 mm |
| April | 25°C | 8°C | 16.7°C | 5 mm |
| May | 30°C | 12°C | 21.0°C | 3 mm |
| June | 35°C | 16°C | 25.7°C | 1 mm |
| July | 39°C | 21°C | 29.8°C | 7 mm |
| August | 38°C | 21°C | 29.4°C | 9 mm |
| September | 34°C | 18°C | 25.7°C | 6 mm |
| October | 28°C | 11°C | 19.5°C | 6 mm |
| November | 21°C | 6°C | 13.3°C | 4 mm |
| December | 15°C | 2°C | 8.7°C | 12 mm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00044405; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Joshua Tree?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in March, April, October and November. Of those, October has the fewest days with rain (1).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00044405.
When is the last frost in Joshua Tree?
In Joshua Tree, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after February 28 in half of years and after March 28 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before December 1 in half of years and before November 12 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- February 281 year in 10 after March 28; 9 in 10 after January 21
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- December 11 year in 10 before November 12; 9 in 10 before December 17
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 273 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 327 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after January 24 in half of springs and before December 15 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Joshua Tree in zone 9a in ZIP code 92252.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in California · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00044405; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Joshua Tree?
In a normal year in Joshua Tree, 130 days a year reach 90°F (60 of them 100°F or more), 24 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 22 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 130a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 60a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 24a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- fewer than 1high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 22a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00044405.
How sunny is Joshua Tree?
Over a year 93% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Joshua Tree, 5.9 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (97%) and December the cloudiest (86%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 87% | 3.4 |
| February | 87% | 4.4 |
| March | 90% | 5.8 |
| April | 93% | 7.2 |
| May | 95% | 8.1 |
| June | 97% | 8.6 |
| July | 93% | 7.8 |
| August | 94% | 7.3 |
| September | 95% | 6.3 |
| October | 94% | 5.0 |
| November | 91% | 3.7 |
| December | 86% | 3.0 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Joshua Tree need?
A normal year in Joshua Tree brings 2,225 heating degree days, 59% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 2,442 cooling degree days, 2.7 times the median (908). Three months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 6,041 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 493 | 0 |
| February | 386 | 1 |
| March | 278 | 7 |
| April | 134 | 49 |
| May | 38 | 189 |
| June | 4 | 401 |
| July | 0 | 639 |
| August | 0 | 615 |
| September | 6 | 400 |
| October | 62 | 127 |
| November | 285 | 15 |
| December | 539 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 2,225 | 2,442 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00044405. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Joshua Tree been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 67.8°F, 2.3°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 65.5°F. 2 of the 2 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 66.2°F | +0.7°F | 3.75 |
| 2025 | 67.8°F | +2.3°F | 4.88 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00044405. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Joshua Tree's climate compare?
Joshua Tree is warmer than 188 of the other 218 places with their own NOAA record in California, and wetter than 12. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 65.5°F is warmer than 89%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Joshua Tree is BWh: hot desert. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about Joshua Tree's climate
What is the coldest month in Joshua Tree?
December, with a normal high of 60°F and a normal low of 36°F. The warmest is July (102°F by day, 70°F at night).
Does it snow in Joshua Tree?
Rarely: NOAA's normal is 0.8 inch a year.
What is the rainiest month in Joshua Tree?
January, with 1.17 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is June with 0.02 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Joshua Tree in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Joshua Tree in zone 9a in ZIP code 92252.
How late can frost come in Joshua Tree?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after February 28; in one year in ten it comes after March 28. Waiting until March 28 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Joshua Tree in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- California climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Yucca Valley, CA7 miles from this station, 62.9°F a year
- Yucca Mesa, CA9 miles from this station, 64.9°F a year
- Twentynine Palms, CA14 miles from this station, 70.3°F a year
- Morongo Valley, CA17 miles from this station, 64.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made