Richmond has warm winters and cool summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normalsUpdated once a decade
☀️
July high
73°
143rd coolest of 1,618 California towns
❄️
January low
43°
331st mildest of 1,618 California towns
💧
Rain + melted snow
25 in
495th 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 Richmond feels like
❄️
Winter
58° / 44°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare
🌷
Spring
66° / 49°
Typical high / low · Frost is rare by spring
☀️
Summer
73° / 55°
Typical high / low · 5 days reach 90° in a normal year
🍂
Fall
70° / 52°
Typical high / low · Mild well into the fall
40°
50°
60°
70°
80°
90°
32°
57°
43°
60°
46°
63°
47°
65°
49°
69°
52°
73°
54°
73°
55°
74°
56°
75°
56°
71°
53°
63°
48°
57°
44°
JanJFebFMarMAprAMayMJunJJulJAugASepSOctONovNDecD
32°, freezingBar runs from the typical overnight low up to the afternoon high
Best months to be outsideMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month
Richmond 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
57°
43°
4.9"
0
10
0
47° – 55°
February
60°
46°
4.7"
0
9
0
49° – 59°
March
63°
47°
3.6"
0
9
0
50° – 60°
April
65°
49°
1.6"
0
6
0
54° – 60°
May
69°
52°
0.7"
0
3
0
56° – 65°
June
73°
54°
0.2"
0
1
0
60° – 66°
July
73°
55°
0.0"
0
0
0
61° – 68°
August
74°
56°
0.1"
0
0
0
62° – 69°
September
75°
56°
0.1"
0
0
0
62° – 69°
October
71°
53°
1.1"
0
3
0
59° – 68°
November
63°
48°
2.6"
0
6
0
49° – 60°
December
57°
44°
5.2"
0
10
0
46° – 55°
Year
67°
50°
24.7"
0.0"
58
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 & snow
Rain and snow in Richmond
Richmond gets 25 inches of rain and melted snow a year. December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 58 days a year.
💧
25 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 82% 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
5.2"
JFMAMJJASOND
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
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling
Heating and cooling a home in Richmond
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Richmond, 92% of that work is heating and 8% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
🔥
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 Richmond
Richmond and its neighbors
Richmond borders 11 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.4°. Kensington has both the coldest January nights (42°) and the hottest July afternoons (76°). Richmond’s January low is 43° and its July high 73°.
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 Richmond averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°). The shift is larger than in 73% of U.S. towns.
❄️ Winter+1.6°now 51°, was 49°
🌷 Spring+1.3°now 57°, was 56°
☀️ Summer+1.7°now 64°, was 62°
🍂 Fall+1.5°now 61°, was 59°
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Richmond’s spot on NOAA’s grid
+2.2°
+1.1°
JanJFebFMarMAprAMayMJunJJulJAugASepSOctONovNDecD
Year to year
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. November swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 49° to 60°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
40°
50°
60°
70°
80°
JanJFebFMarMAprAMayMJunJJulJAugASepSOctONovNDecD
Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions
Common questions about Richmond’s climate
What is the coldest month in Richmond?
January, with a typical high of 57° and a low of 43°.
What is the hottest month in Richmond?
September, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 56°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Richmond get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Richmond?
Frost is uncommon. Only 22% of years see a night at 32° or below.
What is the rainiest month in Richmond?
December, with 5.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 25 inches.
📍Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Richmond itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Richmond, CA (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.