Gonzales, CA climate
Gonzales has mild winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Gonzales feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Gonzales 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 | 63° | 39° | 3.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| February | 64° | 41° | 3.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 43° | 2.3" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| April | 70° | 44° | 1.0" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 54° – 61° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 77° | 51° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| July | 78° | 53° | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| August | 79° | 53° | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| September | 80° | 51° | 0.1" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| October | 77° | 47° | 0.7" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| November | 68° | 41° | 1.4" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 62° | 38° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| Year | 72° | 46° | 14.9" | 0.1" | 48 | 0 |
“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 Gonzales
Gonzales gets 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year. January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 48 days a year.
About 294 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 20 and the first one by December 8. That leaves about 294 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 94% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Gonzales
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Gonzales, 90% of that work is heating and 10% 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 Gonzales 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 Gonzales averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 92% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Gonzales’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 50° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Common questions about Gonzales’s climate
What is the coldest month in Gonzales?
December, with a typical high of 62° and a low of 38°.
What is the hottest month in Gonzales?
September, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 51°. About 20 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Gonzales get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.1 inches.
When is the first frost in Gonzales?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by December 8, and the last spring frost by February 20.
What is the rainiest month in Gonzales?
January, with 3.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 15 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Gonzales itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Hollister 2, CA (24 mi, snow) and Carmel Valley, CA (16 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.