Desert Hot Springs, CA climate
Desert Hot Springs has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 105°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Desert Hot Springs feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Desert Hot Springs weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 42° | 1.8" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| February | 70° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| March | 76° | 49° | 1.0" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| April | 82° | 53° | 0.3" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| May | 90° | 59° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67° – 81° |
| June | 99° | 66° | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76° – 87° |
| July | 105° | 72° | 0.1" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 83° – 92° |
| August | 104° | 72° | 0.1" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 85° – 92° |
| September | 98° | 67° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 79° – 87° |
| October | 87° | 57° | 0.4" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| November | 75° | 47° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| December | 66° | 40° | 1.1" | 0.6" | 4 | 1 | 49° – 59° |
| Year | 85° | 56° | 6.8" | 0.8" | 22 | 1 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Desert Hot Springs
Desert Hot Springs gets 7 inches of rain and melted snow a year. January is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 22 days a year.
About 273 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 28 and the first one by December 1. That leaves about 273 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 93% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Desert Hot Springs
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Desert Hot Springs, 48% of that work is heating and 52% is cooling.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Desert Hot Springs and its neighbors
Desert Hot Springs borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.9°. Garnet has the coldest January nights (43°) and Cathedral City the hottest July afternoons (106°). Desert Hot Springs’s January low is 42° and its July high 105°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Desert Hot Springs compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Desert Hot Springs averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 93% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Desert Hot Springs’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 55° to 69°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Desert Hot Springs’s climate
What is the coldest month in Desert Hot Springs?
December, with a typical high of 66° and a low of 40°.
What is the hottest month in Desert Hot Springs?
July, with a typical high of 105° and a low of 72°. About 130 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Desert Hot Springs get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.8 inches.
When is the first frost in Desert Hot Springs?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by December 1, and the last spring frost by February 28.
What is the rainiest month in Desert Hot Springs?
January, with 1.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 7 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Desert Hot Springs itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Joshua Tree, CA (20 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.