Rancho Santa Fe, CA climate
Rancho Santa Fe has warm winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Rancho Santa Fe feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Rancho Santa Fe 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 | 68° | 45° | 2.2" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| February | 67° | 46° | 2.6" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| March | 68° | 49° | 2.0" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| April | 70° | 51° | 0.8" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 72° | 56° | 0.3" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| June | 75° | 59° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 79° | 63° | 0.0" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 64° | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 81° | 61° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 78° | 56° | 0.6" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 73° | 49° | 0.9" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| December | 67° | 44° | 1.8" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 53° – 59° |
| Year | 73° | 54° | 11.5" | 0.0" | 41 | 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 Rancho Santa Fe
Rancho Santa Fe gets 11 inches of rain and melted snow a year. February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 41 days a year.
A year-round growing season
Heating and cooling a home in Rancho Santa Fe
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Rancho Santa Fe, 61% of that work is heating and 39% is cooling.
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 Rancho Santa Fe 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 Rancho Santa Fe averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°). The shift is larger than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Rancho Santa Fe’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 54° to 65°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Rancho Santa Fe’s climate
What is the coldest month in Rancho Santa Fe?
December, with a typical high of 67° and a low of 44°.
What is the hottest month in Rancho Santa Fe?
August, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 64°. About 21 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Rancho Santa Fe get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Rancho Santa Fe?
Frost is uncommon. Only 21% of years see a night at 32° or below.
What is the rainiest month in Rancho Santa Fe?
February, with 2.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 11 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Rancho Santa Fe itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Poway Valley, CA (10 mi, snow) and Rancho Bernardo, 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.