Climate · Morro Bay

Morro Bay, CA climate

Morro Bay has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 68°, a January night drops to 46°, and snow is almost unheard of.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
68°
68th coolest of 1,618 California towns
January low
46°
165th mildest of 1,618 California towns
Rain + melted snow
17 in
792nd driest of 1,618 California towns
Snow a winter
0.1 in
379th snowiest of 1,499 California towns
A normal year

What a year in Morro Bay feels like

Winter

63° / 46°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

64° / 48°
Typical high / low · Frost is rare by spring

Summer

68° / 54°
Typical high / low · 1 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

69° / 52°
Typical high / low · Mild well into the fall
Best months to be outsideJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Morro Bay 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
January63°46°3.9" 0.1"70 50° – 59°
February63°46°3.6" 080 50° – 59°
March63°47°3.3" 070 49° – 60°
April65°48°1.1" 040 52° – 60°
May65°50°0.4" 020 53° – 63°
June67°52°0.1" 000 55° – 64°
July68°55°0.0" 000 58° – 66°
August69°55°0.0" 000 60° – 66°
September70°55°0.1" 010 59° – 66°
October70°53°0.7" 020 57° – 67°
November67°49°1.4" 030 51° – 61°
December62°45°2.9" 070 51° – 58°
Year66°50°17.5"0.1"420

“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 Morro Bay

Morro Bay gets 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year. January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 42 days a year.

17 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 92% of U.S. towns
0.1 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 92% 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
3.9"

Snowfall by month

About 0.1" in a normal year, so most winters see none.
Frost & the growing season

A year-round growing season

🌿 Only about one winter in 7 dip to 32° here (15% of years), so gardens can grow year-round.
3
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
0
nights below 0° in a normal year
1
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Morro Bay

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Morro Bay, 91% of that work is heating and 9% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

91%heating
2,194 heating degree daysLess heating than 92% of U.S. towns
208 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 96% 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.

Compared with other towns

How Morro Bay compares

Summer heat68° July high
Cooler than 99% of U.S. towns68th coolest of 1,618 California towns
Winter cold46° January low
Milder than 97% of U.S. towns165th mildest of 1,618 California towns
Precipitation17" a year
Drier than 92% of U.S. towns792nd driest of 1,618 California towns
Snow0.1" a winter
Less snow than 92% of U.S. towns379th 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

+1.9°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Morro Bay averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°). The shift is larger than in 90% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.8° now 54°, was 52°
🌷 Spring+2.0° now 56°, was 54°
☀️ Summer+1.8° now 61°, was 59°
🍂 Fall+1.9° now 60°, was 59°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Morro Bay’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 49° to 60°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Morro Bay’s climate

What is the coldest month in Morro Bay?

December, with a typical high of 62° and a low of 45°.

What is the hottest month in Morro Bay?

September, with a typical high of 70° and a low of 55°. About 1 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Morro Bay get?

Almost none. A normal year brings 0.1 inches.

When is the first frost in Morro Bay?

Frost is uncommon. Only 15% of years see a night at 32° or below.

What is the rainiest month in Morro Bay?

January, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Morro Bay itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Morro Bay Fire Dept, CA (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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