Menlo Park, CA climate
Menlo Park has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Menlo Park feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Menlo Park 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 | 59° | 43° | 3.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| February | 61° | 45° | 3.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| March | 64° | 47° | 2.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| April | 66° | 49° | 1.2" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 54° – 61° |
| May | 69° | 52° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 73° | 55° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| July | 74° | 57° | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| August | 74° | 57° | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| September | 74° | 56° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 72° | 53° | 0.7" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| November | 64° | 47° | 1.5" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| December | 59° | 43° | 3.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| Year | 67° | 50° | 15.8" | 0.0" | 60 | 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 Menlo Park
Menlo Park gets 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year. February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
A year-round growing season
Heating and cooling a home in Menlo Park
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Menlo Park, 84% of that work is heating and 16% 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.
Menlo Park and its neighbors
Menlo Park borders 8 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.7°. Woodside has the coldest January nights (40°) and Fremont the hottest July afternoons (82°). Menlo Park’s January low is 43° and its July high 74°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Menlo Park 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 Menlo Park averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in August (+2.0°). The shift is larger than in 80% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Menlo Park’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 51° to 61°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Menlo Park’s climate
What is the coldest month in Menlo Park?
January, with a typical high of 59° and a low of 43°.
What is the hottest month in Menlo Park?
September, with a typical high of 74° and a low of 56°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Menlo Park get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Menlo Park?
Frost is uncommon. Only 70% of years see a night at 32° or below.
What is the rainiest month in Menlo Park?
February, with 3.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Menlo Park itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Newark, CA (7 mi, snow) and Moffett Federal Airfield, CA (8 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.