Indian Wells, CA climate
Indian Wells has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 106°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Indian Wells feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Indian Wells 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 | 70° | 45° | 0.8" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| February | 74° | 48° | 0.7" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| March | 80° | 53° | 0.4" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| April | 86° | 59° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| May | 93° | 65° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| June | 102° | 72° | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82° – 91° |
| July | 106° | 79° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 88° – 96° |
| August | 106° | 78° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 89° – 95° |
| September | 101° | 73° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 84° – 90° |
| October | 90° | 62° | 0.2" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| November | 78° | 51° | 0.2" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| December | 69° | 43° | 0.6" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| Year | 88° | 61° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 20 | 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 Indian Wells
Indian Wells gets 3 inches of rain and melted snow a year. January is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 20 days a year.
A year-round growing season
Heating and cooling a home in Indian Wells
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Indian Wells, 13% of that work is heating and 87% is cooling, so air conditioning is the bigger bill.
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.
Indian Wells and its neighbors
Indian Wells borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. La Quinta has both the coldest January nights (45°) and the hottest July afternoons (107°). Indian Wells’s January low is 45° and its July high 106°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Indian Wells 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 Indian Wells averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°). The shift is larger than in 81% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Indian Wells’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 60° to 73°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Indian Wells’s climate
What is the coldest month in Indian Wells?
December, with a typical high of 69° and a low of 43°.
What is the hottest month in Indian Wells?
July, with a typical high of 106° and a low of 79°. About 184 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Indian Wells get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Indian Wells?
Frost is uncommon. Only 30% of years see a night at 32° or below.
What is the rainiest month in Indian Wells?
January, with 0.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 3 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Indian Wells itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Deep Canyon Lab, CA (4 mi, snow) and Indio Fire Stn, CA (7 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.