Climate · South El Monte

South El Monte, CA climate

South El Monte has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 46°, and snow is almost unheard of.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
88°
690th coolest of 1,618 California towns
January low
46°
148th mildest of 1,618 California towns
Rain + melted snow
15 in
655th driest 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 South El Monte feels like

Winter

69° / 46°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

75° / 52°
Typical high / low · Frost is rare by spring

Summer

86° / 62°
Typical high / low · 65 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

81° / 56°
Typical high / low · Mild well into the fall
Best months to be outsideJanFebMarAprMayJunOctNovDecHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

South El Monte 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
January69°46°3.7" 060 54° – 63°
February70°47°3.8" 070 52° – 66°
March72°49°2.4" 040 55° – 68°
April75°52°0.8" 030 59° – 68°
May77°56°0.4" 010 62° – 73°
June82°60°0.1" 000 67° – 75°
July88°64°0.0" 000 73° – 81°
August89°64°0.0" 000 73° – 80°
September88°62°0.1" 000 71° – 79°
October82°57°0.6" 020 65° – 74°
November75°50°0.9" 030 56° – 66°
December68°45°2.4" 060 53° – 61°
Year78°54°15.1"0.0"320

“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 South El Monte

South El Monte gets 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year. February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 32 days a year.

15 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 94% 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
3.8"

Snowfall by month

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

A year-round growing season

🌿 Only about one winter in 7 dip to 32° here (15% 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
65
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 South El Monte

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In South El Monte, 43% of that work is heating and 57% is cooling.

43%heating
1,145 heating degree daysLess heating than 97% of U.S. towns
1,516 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 79% 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 South El Monte

South El Monte and its neighbors

South El Monte borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.4°. El Monte has both the coldest January nights (46°) and the hottest July afternoons (88°). South El Monte’s January low is 46° and its July high 88°.

Industry: January low 46°, July high 88°Temple City: January low 46°, July high 88°North El Monte: January low 45°, July high 89°Arcadia: January low 45°, July high 89°Baldwin Park: January low 45°, July high 88°Irwindale: January low 45°, July high 89°South San Gabriel: January low 47°, July high 87°San Gabriel: January low 46°, July high 88°Monterey Park: January low 47°, July high 87°Montebello: January low 47°, July high 87°El Monte: January low 46°, July high 88°Rosemead: January low 46°, July high 88°South El Monte: January low 46°, July high 88° South El MonteEl MonteRosemead
ColderMilder45° to 47°
El Monte45.7° −0.4°
South El Monte46.1°
Rosemead46.1° same

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

Compared with other towns

How South El Monte compares

Summer heat88° July high
Hotter than 69% of U.S. towns690th coolest of 1,618 California towns
Winter cold46° January low
Milder than 97% of U.S. towns148th mildest of 1,618 California towns
Precipitation15" a year
Drier than 94% of U.S. towns655th driest 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

+2.6°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in South El Monte averaged 2.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 100% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.5° now 58°, was 55°
🌷 Spring+2.7° now 64°, was 61°
☀️ Summer+2.4° now 74°, was 72°
🍂 Fall+2.7° now 69°, was 66°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at South El Monte’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. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 52° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about South El Monte’s climate

What is the coldest month in South El Monte?

December, with a typical high of 68° and a low of 45°.

What is the hottest month in South El Monte?

August, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 64°. About 65 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does South El Monte get?

Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.

When is the first frost in South El Monte?

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

What is the rainiest month in South El Monte?

February, with 3.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 15 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for South El Monte itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Whittier City Yard Fc106c, CA (5 mi, snow) and San Gabriel Fire Dept, CA (4 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.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in South El Monte, CAView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

South El Monte is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01