Climate Comfort Score
90/100
Excellent
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 57°F annual avg 2 stations
Monterey, CA Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 57°F
- Avg annual temp
- 90/100
- Comfort score
- 20.4"
- Annual precip
- 363d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 2 weather stations (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Monterey
Monterey, California averages 57°F a year and scores 90/100 on the comfort index - excellent, milder than 94% of U.S. cities.
- 57°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 90/100
- comfort score, milder than 94% of U.S. cities
- 20.4"
- precipitation, annual total
- 363 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
57°F (14°C)
Avg High
65°F
Avg Low
49°F
Annual Precip
20.4"
Annual Snow
0.3"
Comfort Score
90/100
Excellent
Avg Annual Temperature
57°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
20.4"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Monterey) 90.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Excellent for the Monterey area.
How Monterey compares to every U.S. city
Monterey's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
90 Top 6% higher than 94% 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 Monterey
MethodologyZooming out from Monterey'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 | 60°F (16°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 4.3" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| February | 61°F (16°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 4.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| March | 63°F (17°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 3.3" | 0.2" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| April | 63°F (17°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 1.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| May | 64°F (18°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 0.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| June | 66°F (19°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| July | 67°F (20°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| August | 69°F (20°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| September | 71°F (22°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| October | 71°F (22°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| November | 64°F (18°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 1.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| December | 59°F (15°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 3.6" | 0.1" | 0.2 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 4.3"
10.7 days with precipitation
February 4.0"
11.3 days with precipitation
March 3.3"
Snow: 0.2"
9.9 days with precipitation
April 1.5"
6.4 days with precipitation
May 0.6"
5.3 days with precipitation
June 0.1"
2.4 days with precipitation
July 0.1"
2.6 days with precipitation
August 0.1"
2.4 days with precipitation
September 0.1"
1.5 days with precipitation
October 0.9"
3.6 days with precipitation
November 1.8"
7.5 days with precipitation
December 3.6"
Snow: 0.1"
10.8 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
December 30
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
January 1
50% probability date
Growing Season
363 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
3,083
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
89
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
September
Coldest Month
December
What Monterey's climate means for you
Monterey runs 57°F a year - peaking in September, coldest in December.
- Gardeners get about 363 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near January 1 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 3,083 heating and 89 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: Monterey, CA
Monterey, California runs an annual average of 57°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 65°F to a mean daily low of 49°F, per NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals. September is typically the warmest month of the year, while December is the coldest. Drawn from 2 weather stations, these thirty-year averages smooth out year-to-year swings into a baseline for what a typical month looks like here.
Rainfall (and snow, where it falls) shapes day-to-day life here as much as temperature does. Monterey sees about 20.4 inches of precipitation a year, with negligible snowfall. The frost-free season averages 363 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near January 1 and the first fall freeze near December 30. On the energy side, 3,083 heating degree days and 89 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Monterey scores 90/100 (Excellent), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Shoulder seasons bring the mildest highs and lows in the monthly tables above, summer brings September-driven heat, and winter brings December-driven cold - use that rhythm for planning. These figures are thirty-year averages rather than forecasts, so a specific year may still run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than what's shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Monterey, CA? ▼
The average annual temperature in Monterey, California is 57°F. The warmest month averages 71°F (22°C) and the coldest averages 44°F (7°C).
How much rain does Monterey get? ▼
Monterey receives 20.4 inches of precipitation annually, including 0.3 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Monterey? ▼
Monterey has a climate comfort score of 90/100 (Excellent), milder than 94% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Monterey? ▼
Monterey has approximately 363 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around January 1 and the first fall freeze around December 30.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Monterey? ▼
Monterey has 3,083 heating degree days and 89 cooling degree days annually, a heating-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 Monterey climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from 2 weather stations near Monterey.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00045795. 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.