Climate · Mill Valley

Mill Valley, CA climate

Mill Valley has warm winters and cool summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
72°
117th coolest of 1,618 California towns
January low
43°
351st mildest of 1,618 California towns
Rain + melted snow
36 in
292nd wettest of 1,618 California towns
Snow a winter
0.0 in
470th snowiest of 1,499 California towns
A normal year

What a year in Mill Valley feels like

Winter

57° / 44°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

63° / 47°
Typical high / low · Frost is rare by spring

Summer

71° / 53°
Typical high / low · 5 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

68° / 51°
Typical high / low · Mild well into the fall
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunJulAugSepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Mill Valley weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January56°43°6.8" 0140 46° – 54°
February58°44°6.8" 0130 47° – 57°
March61°45°5.0" 0120 48° – 58°
April63°46°2.3" 090 51° – 58°
May65°49°1.1" 050 53° – 62°
June70°51°0.3" 040 57° – 63°
July72°53°0.0" 020 59° – 66°
August73°54°0.1" 030 61° – 67°
September73°54°0.1" 030 59° – 68°
October70°51°1.7" 060 58° – 66°
November62°47°3.9" 0100 48° – 57°
December56°43°7.8" 0150 46° – 54°
Year65°48°35.8"0.0"960

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Mill Valley

Mill Valley gets 36 inches of rain and melted snow a year. December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year.

36 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 63% of U.S. towns
0.0 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 96% of U.S. towns
0 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 94% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
7.8"

Snowfall by month

No measurable snow in a normal year.
Frost & the growing season

A year-round growing season

🌿 Only about one winter in 5 dip to 32° here (22% of years), so gardens can grow year-round.
<1
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
0
nights below 0° in a normal year
5
days that reach 90° in a normal year

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Mill Valley

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Mill Valley, 92% of that work is heating and 8% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

92%heating
2,459 heating degree daysLess heating than 90% of U.S. towns
217 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 95% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Mill Valley

Mill Valley and its neighbors

Mill Valley borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.2°. Kentfield has both the coldest January nights (42°) and the hottest July afternoons (74°). Mill Valley’s January low is 43° and its July high 72°.

Marin City: January low 44°, July high 70°Sausalito: January low 44°, July high 70°Tiburon: January low 44°, July high 71°San Rafael: January low 43°, July high 72°Ross: January low 41°, July high 75°Tamalpais-Homestead Valley: January low 44°, July high 70°Corte Madera: January low 44°, July high 71°Alto: January low 44°, July high 70°Strawberry: January low 44°, July high 70°Larkspur: January low 44°, July high 71°Kentfield: January low 42°, July high 74°Mill Valley: January low 43°, July high 72° Mill ValleyTamalpais-Homestead ValleyCorte MaderaAltoStrawberryLarkspurKentfield
ColderMilder41° to 44°
Kentfield41.8° −1.3°
Mill Valley43.1°
Corte Madera43.6° +0.5°
Larkspur43.6° +0.5°
Alto44.0° +0.9°
Strawberry44.0° +0.9°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Mill Valley compares

Summer heat72° July high
Cooler than 99% of U.S. towns117th coolest of 1,618 California towns
Winter cold43° January low
Milder than 96% of U.S. towns351st mildest of 1,618 California towns
Precipitation36" a year
Drier than 63% of U.S. towns292nd wettest of 1,618 California towns
Snow0.0" a winter
Less snow than 96% of U.S. towns470th snowiest of 1,499 California towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.5°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Mill Valley averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°). The shift is larger than in 67% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.6° now 50°, was 48°
🌷 Spring+1.2° now 55°, was 54°
☀️ Summer+1.5° now 62°, was 61°
🍂 Fall+1.4° now 60°, was 58°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Mill Valley’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 48° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 5°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Mill Valley’s climate

What is the coldest month in Mill Valley?

January, with a typical high of 56° and a low of 43°.

What is the hottest month in Mill Valley?

September, with a typical high of 73° and a low of 54°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Mill Valley get?

Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.

When is the first frost in Mill Valley?

Frost is uncommon. Only 22% of years see a night at 32° or below.

What is the rainiest month in Mill Valley?

December, with 7.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 36 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Mill Valley itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Muir Woods, CA (2 mi, snow) and Richmond, CA (9 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.

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