Sacramento, California climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Sacramento's normal year runs from 39°F December nights to 93°F July afternoons, with 18.1 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 16.6°C, December lows of 4°C, July highs of 34°C, 461 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationSacramento Airport Asos
- Station IDUSW00023232
- Location38.51°N 121.50°W
- Elevation15 ft (5 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population535,798
On October 22, the normal high in Sacramento is 76°F and the normal low 49°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 11%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Sacramento.
- Jan 56° 39°
- Feb 61° 42°
- Mar 66° 45°
- Apr 72° 47°
- May 80° 52°
- Jun 88° 57°
- Jul 93° 59°
- Aug 92° 59°
- Sep 89° 57°
- Oct 79° 50°
- Nov 65° 43°
- Dec 56° 39°
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 Sacramento each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 93°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 39°F. The most precipitation falls in January (3.66 in), the least in July (0.00 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 | 56°F | 39°F | 47.6°F | 3.66 | 10 | <1 | 5 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 61°F | 42°F | 51.4°F | 3.49 | 9 | <1 | 2 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 66°F | 45°F | 55.4°F | 2.68 | 9 | <1 | <1 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 72°F | 47°F | 59.5°F | 1.26 | 5 | 1 | <1 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 80°F | 52°F | 66.1°F | 0.75 | 4 | 5 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 88°F | 57°F | 72.2°F | 0.23 | 1 | 12 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 93°F | 59°F | 75.9°F | 0.00 | <1 | 21 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 92°F | 59°F | 75.3°F | 0.04 | <1 | 20 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 89°F | 57°F | 72.5°F | 0.09 | 1 | 14 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 79°F | 50°F | 64.5°F | 0.85 | 3 | 3 | <1 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 65°F | 43°F | 53.9°F | 1.66 | 6 | <1 | 2 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 56°F | 39°F | 47.3°F | 3.43 | 10 | <1 | 7 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 75°F | 49°F | 61.8°F | 18.14 | 58 | 76 | 15 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13°C | 4°C | 8.7°C | 93 mm |
| February | 16°C | 5°C | 10.8°C | 89 mm |
| March | 19°C | 7°C | 13.0°C | 68 mm |
| April | 22°C | 8°C | 15.3°C | 32 mm |
| May | 27°C | 11°C | 18.9°C | 19 mm |
| June | 31°C | 14°C | 22.3°C | 6 mm |
| July | 34°C | 15°C | 24.4°C | 0 mm |
| August | 33°C | 15°C | 24.1°C | 1 mm |
| September | 31°C | 14°C | 22.5°C | 2 mm |
| October | 26°C | 10°C | 18.1°C | 22 mm |
| November | 18°C | 6°C | 12.2°C | 42 mm |
| December | 13°C | 4°C | 8.5°C | 87 mm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023232; 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 Sacramento?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in March, April, May, October and November. Of those, October has the fewest days with rain (3).
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 USW00023232.
When is the last frost in Sacramento?
In Sacramento, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after February 2 in half of years and after March 5 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before December 2 in half of years and before November 16 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 21 year in 10 after March 5; 9 in 10 after January 2
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- December 21 year in 10 before November 16; 9 in 10 before January 2
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 301 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 345 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after January 4 in half of springs and before December 16 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Sacramento in zone 9b across its 21 ZIP code areas (9b in 95838, the largest). By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Sacramento's NOAA station is in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches 27°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in California · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00023232; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
What hardiness zone is each Sacramento ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. Sacramento's 21 ZIP code areas are all in zone 9b. Each ZIP's frost dates are in the frost tool.
| ZIP code | Zone | Land in Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| 95811 | 9b | 6.0 km² |
| 95814 | 9b | 3.6 km² |
| 95815 | 9b | 19.8 km² |
| 95816 | 9b | 7.1 km² |
| 95817 | 9b | 5.9 km² |
| 95818 | 9b | 10.0 km² |
| 95819 | 9b | 9.3 km² |
| 95820 | 9b | 12.1 km² |
| 95821 | 9b | 2.9 km² |
| 95822 | 9b | 21.8 km² |
| 95823 | 9b | 17.5 km² |
| 95824 | 9b | 5.9 km² |
| 95825 | 9b | 2.2 km² |
| 95826 | 9b | 13.9 km² |
| 95828 | 9b | 9.2 km² |
| 95831 | 9b | 18.1 km² |
| 95832 | 9b | 9.2 km² |
| 95833 | 9b | 15.0 km² |
| 95834 | 9b | 16.9 km² |
| 95835 | 9b | 19.9 km² |
| 95838 | 9b | 23.3 km² |
Source: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; ZIP areas in the place: Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file. A ZIP area counts when at least a tenth of its land (and 0.5 km²) lies in the place.
How hot and how cold does it get in Sacramento?
In a normal year in Sacramento, 76 days a year reach 90°F (14 of them 100°F or more), 15 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 58 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 76a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 14a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 15a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- fewer than 1high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 58a normal year
The highest temperature in Sacramento's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1877) is 115°F, on June 15, 1961; the lowest is 17°F, on December 11, 1932.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1884, with 34.92 in; the snowiest season is 1975–76, with 2.0 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00023232; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record SACthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Sacramento, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 54°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 55°F; the driest air comes in December (39°F). May is the windiest month (7.5 mph on average), and July has the most clear or nearly clear hours (96%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 79% | 59% | 5.1 mph | 62% | 26% |
| February | 43°F | 72% | 52% | 6.1 mph | 63% | 22% |
| March | 44°F | 66% | 44% | 6.8 mph | 73% | 13% |
| April | 46°F | 58% | 33% | 7.4 mph | 76% | 10% |
| May | 51°F | 57% | 32% | 7.5 mph | 84% | 6% |
| June | 54°F | 54% | 28% | 7.3 mph | 94% | 2% |
| July | 55°F | 55% | 28% | 7.2 mph | 96% | 1% |
| August | 52°F | 53% | 25% | 6.1 mph | 95% | 1% |
| September | 49°F | 55% | 28% | 5.3 mph | 91% | 3% |
| October | 45°F | 65% | 37% | 4.7 mph | 80% | 11% |
| November | 41°F | 76% | 53% | 5.0 mph | 67% | 23% |
| December | 39°F | 80% | 62% | 5.1 mph | 59% | 30% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00023232. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Sacramento?
Over a year 89% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Sacramento, 5.2 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (98%) and January the cloudiest (70%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 39th (with 12 others) in sunshine.
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 70% | 2.2 |
| February | 77% | 3.3 |
| March | 80% | 4.6 |
| April | 85% | 6.2 |
| May | 91% | 7.5 |
| June | 95% | 8.3 |
| July | 98% | 8.2 |
| August | 98% | 7.4 |
| September | 96% | 6.0 |
| October | 91% | 4.3 |
| November | 81% | 2.8 |
| December | 71% | 2.0 |
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 Sacramento need?
A normal year in Sacramento brings 2,436 heating degree days, 55% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,292 cooling degree days, 42% more than the median (908). Four months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 4,621 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 539 | 0 |
| February | 381 | 0 |
| March | 299 | 1 |
| April | 181 | 18 |
| May | 60 | 95 |
| June | 8 | 224 |
| July | 0 | 338 |
| August | 0 | 321 |
| September | 5 | 230 |
| October | 79 | 65 |
| November | 335 | 1 |
| December | 550 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 2,436 | 1,292 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023232. 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 Sacramento been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 62.3°F, 0.5°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 61.8°F. 4 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 62.4°F | +0.6°F | 18.90 |
| 2022 | 62.8°F | +1.0°F | 11.19 |
| 2023 | 61.6°F | −0.2°F | 18.91 |
| 2024 | 63.4°F | +1.6°F | 19.29 |
| 2025 | 62.3°F | +0.5°F | 13.77 |
Over 70 complete years from 1948 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 3.1°F per century (+0.17°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00023232; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Sacramento's climate compare?
Sacramento is warmer than 118 of the other 218 places with their own NOAA record in California, and wetter than 124. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 61.8°F is warmer than 79%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Sacramento is Csa: temperate, dry-summer, hot summer. 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.
Which places near Sacramento share this climate record?
21 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Elk Grove, CAalso near: Lodi (22 mi, 62.2°F a year); Sacramento Metro Airport (22 mi, 61.2°F a year)182,797 people · 9 mi SE
- Arden-Arcade, CAalso near: Sacramento Metro Airport (13 mi, 61.2°F a year); Davis (22 mi, 61.6°F a year)96,319 people · 9 mi NE
- Rancho Cordova, CAalso near: Sacramento Metro Airport (21 mi, 61.2°F a year); Placerville (24 mi, 59.8°F a year)84,113 people · 15 mi E
- Carmichael, CAalso near: Sacramento Metro Airport (15 mi, 61.2°F a year); Auburn (23 mi, 61.2°F a year)78,070 people · 13 mi NE
- West Sacramento, CAalso near: Sacramento Metro Airport (10 mi, 61.2°F a year); Davis (12 mi, 61.6°F a year)55,991 people · 4 mi NW
- Florin, CA49,536 people · 5 mi E
- Vineyard, CA42,645 people · 10 mi E
- Fair Oaks, CA32,030 people · 16 mi NE
- Rosemont, CA23,448 people · 8 mi E
- Parkway, CA15,880 people · 2 mi E
- Lemon Hill, CA14,942 people · 2 mi E
- La Riviera, CA11,503 people · 9 mi NE
- Gold River, CA7,661 people · 16 mi NE
- Wilton, CA6,198 people · 17 mi SE
- Fruitridge Pocket, CA5,675 people · 3 mi NE
- Mather, CA4,729 people · 12 mi E
- Courtland, CA528 people · 12 mi S
- Clarksburg, CA328 people · 7 mi SW
- Hood, CA286 people · 10 mi S
- Franklin, CA245 people · 10 mi S
- Freeport, CA0 people · 3 mi S
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Sacramento's other NOAA stations record?
2 more NOAA stations keep 1991-2020 normals in or near Sacramento. This page uses Sacramento Airport Asos; the others differ by site and elevation, and the linked ones have pages of their own:
| Station | From the center | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento Metro Airport USW00093225 | 11 mi NW | 23 ft | 61.2°F | 38°F | 94°F | 18.0 | – | February 22 |
| Sacramento (5 mi ESE) USW00023271 | 3 mi E | 38 ft | 63.4°F | 41°F | 94°F | 19.2 | 0 | January 12 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Sacramento's climate
What is the coldest month in Sacramento?
December, with a normal high of 56°F and a normal low of 39°F. The warmest is July (93°F by day, 59°F at night).
Does it snow in Sacramento?
Rarely. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Sacramento's NOAA station; Sacramento's own co-op station Sacramento (5 mi ESE) records 0 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Sacramento?
January, with 3.66 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is July with 0.00 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Sacramento in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Sacramento in zone 9b across its 21 ZIP code areas (9b in 95838, the largest). By the same method at Sacramento's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches 27°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 9b.
How late can frost come in Sacramento?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after February 2; in one year in ten it comes after March 5. Waiting until March 5 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Sacramento in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- California climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Sacramento Metro Airport, CA14 miles from this station, 61.2°F a year
- Davis, CA16 miles from this station, 61.6°F a year
- Woodland, CA21 miles from this station, 62.2°F a year
- Winters, CA26 miles from this station, 62.6°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made