Fresno climate
Fresno (California, United States) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C66 °F, and about 297 mm12 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Fresno climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1559 | 440 | 1050 | 562.2 | 2 |
| Feb | 1762 | 541 | 1152 | 491.9 | 1 |
| Mar | 2068 | 745 | 1456 | 471.9 | 0 |
| Apr | 2475 | 948 | 1661 | 271.1 | 0 |
| May | 3086 | 1355 | 2170 | 120.5 | 0 |
| Jun | 3798 | 1762 | 2780 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Jul | 41105 | 2169 | 3187 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Aug | 39102 | 1967 | 2984 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 3595 | 1763 | 2679 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 2882 | 1254 | 2068 | 150.6 | 0 |
| Nov | 2068 | 846 | 1457 | 271.0 | 0 |
| Dec | 1558 | 440 | 949 | 582.3 | 2 |
| Year | 41105 | 440 | 1966 | 29712 | 5 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73% | 61% | 2.4 | 9:54 |
| Feb | 73% | 50% | 3.6 | 10:47 |
| Mar | 69% | 45% | 5.1 | 11:51 |
| Apr | 60% | 38% | 6.5 | 13:05 |
| May | 46% | 26% | 7.7 | 14:07 |
| Jun | 32% | 14% | 8.5 | 14:40 |
| Jul | 26% | 14% | 8.1 | 14:26 |
| Aug | 29% | 13% | 7.4 | 13:33 |
| Sep | 33% | 15% | 6.1 | 12:22 |
| Oct | 43% | 27% | 4.5 | 11:10 |
| Nov | 59% | 44% | 3.1 | 10:09 |
| Dec | 71% | 58% | 2.2 | 9:39 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Fresno is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 41 °C105 °F and a low of 21 °C69 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 15 °C58 °F and lows 4 °C40 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 21.1 °C38 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 297 mm12 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 55% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is December (58 mm2.3 in), the driest is August (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 26% in July to 73% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 13%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (3 mph) in January to 11 km/h (7 mph) in June. Daylight lasts from about 9.7 hours in December to 14.7 hours in June.
Best time to visit Fresno
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and October and November: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 15 mm0.6 in to 47 mm1.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 41 °C105 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Fresno
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1558 to 17 °C62 °F, lows 440 to 5 °C41 °F, about 54 mm2.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2068 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 745 to 13 °C55 °F, about 29 mm1.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3798 to 41 °C105 °F, lows 1762 to 21 °C69 °F, about 1 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2068 to 35 °C95 °F, lows 846 to 17 °C63 °F, about 14 mm0.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Fresno compares
Compared with San Jose, about 200 km to the west, Fresno is on average 3.7 °C6.6 °F warmer and receives 42% less precipitation (297 mm12 in vs 511 mm20 in). The difference is largest in July (9.6 °C17.2 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Fresno is the 53rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 206th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Homs (Syria, BSh), Damascus (Syria, BSh) and Hamah (Syria, BSh).
Nearby places
- Clovis 11 km · 19 °C66 °F · 405 mm16 in
- Visalia 63 km · 20 °C68 °F · 422 mm17 in
- Modesto 147 km · 17 °C63 °F · 421 mm17 in
- Bakersfield 167 km · 21 °C69 °F · 204 mm8.0 in
- Salinas 168 km · 14 °C58 °F · 479 mm19 in
- Stockton 190 km · 17 °C63 °F · 449 mm18 in
- San Jose 200 km · 15 °C60 °F · 511 mm20 in
- Santa Maria 208 km · 16 °C61 °F · 399 mm16 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Fresno?
July is the warmest month in Fresno, with an average high of 41 °C (105 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Fresno?
December is the coldest month, with an average high of 15 °C (58 °F) and an average low of 4 °C (40 °F).
When does it rain the most in Fresno?
December is the wettest month with about 58 mm (2.3 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Fresno?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April and October and November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.