El Portal, CA climate
El Portal has mild, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 108 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in El Portal feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
El Portal 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 | 52° | 32° | 5.9" | 21.0" | 10 | 18 | 37° – 49° |
| February | 53° | 33° | 5.2" | 26.4" | 11 | 18 | 33° – 51° |
| March | 57° | 35° | 4.9" | 21.1" | 11 | 15 | 37° – 54° |
| April | 63° | 38° | 2.6" | 10.5" | 8 | 4 | 44° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 44° | 1.6" | 1.1" | 7 | 1 | 48° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 89° | 58° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 83° | 53° | 0.3" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| October | 72° | 45° | 1.6" | 0.5" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 59° | 37° | 3.0" | 5.6" | 7 | 3 | 38° – 55° |
| December | 51° | 32° | 5.3" | 21.3" | 9 | 14 | 37° – 48° |
| Year | 68° | 43° | 31.1" | 107.6" | 73 | 72 |
“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 El Portal
El Portal gets 31 inches of rain and melted snow a year. January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 72 days of the year.
About 186 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first one by October 27. That leaves about 186 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 59% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in El Portal
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In El Portal, 86% of that work is heating and 14% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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.
How El Portal 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 El Portal averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°). The shift is smaller than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at El Portal’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. May swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 48° to 66°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about El Portal’s climate
What is the coldest month in El Portal?
December, with a typical high of 51° and a low of 32°.
What is the hottest month in El Portal?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 46 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does El Portal get?
About 108 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in El Portal?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 27, and the last spring frost by April 21.
What is the rainiest month in El Portal?
January, with 5.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 31 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for El Portal itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Cherry Valley Dam, CA (22 mi, snow) and Yosemite Park Hq, CA (12 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.