Rio del Mar, California Weather
Summer heat deepens across the valleys. Day 15 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Rio del Mar weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJul 5Foggy——63°56°—
- MondayJul 6Foggy——62°54°-1°
- TuesdayJul 7Overcast——73°55°+11°
- WednesdayJul 8Clear——70°56°-3°
- ThursdayJul 9Clear——73°56°+3°
- FridayJul 10Partly Cloudy——71°56°-2°
- SaturdayJul 11Overcast——68°57°-3°
AQI 27 (Good), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). PM2.5 at 5.5 µg/m³ (AQI 31) with a 0.65 fine-to-coarse ratio and 6 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 5.5 µg/m³ (AQI 31) with a 0.65 fine-to-coarse ratio and 6 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.65
- Wind
- light
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- stagnant smoke
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).








































If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
- Moonrise
- 11:26 PM
- Moonset
- 11:26 AM
- In sign
- ♓︎ Pisces
Summer heat deepens across the valleys
Rio del Mar at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 16°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: March 29 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jul 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
16-Day Forecast — Rio del Mar
- Sun63°56°1%
- Mon62°54°0%
- Tue73°55°0%
- Wed70°56°0%
- Thu73°56°0%
- Fri71°56°0%
- Sat68°57°1%
- Sun68°58°1%
- Mon73°61°4%
- Tue71°61°3%
- Wed69°60°1%
- Thu83°66°2%
- Fri95°70°0%
- Sat86°71°0%
- Sun72°60°3%
- Mon74°59°3%
Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of July 5, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
Microseason · July 1–5
Summer heat deepens across the valleys
Inland temperatures exceed 95°F regularly; fire danger reaches moderate to high across most of the region.
Day 186 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
August is Rio del Mar's warmest stretch (~66°F) and January its coldest (~51°F); precipitation crests in January at 5.5 inches and ebbs in July to 0.1 inches.
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 5.5″ | 15 |
| February | 52° | 5.0″ | 13 |
| March | 53° | 4.1″ | 13 |
| April | 56° | 1.9″ | 9 |
| May | 60° | 0.6″ | 5 |
| June | 62° | 0.1″ | 3 |
| July | 65° | 0.1″ | 9 |
| August | 66° | 0.1″ | 10 |
| September | 66° | 0.1″ | 6 |
| October | 63° | 0.8″ | 7 |
| November | 56° | 3.1″ | 11 |
| December | 51° | 4.5″ | 14 |
Regional context
Drawing on NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Rio del Mar's January averages 51°F and July 65°F — 14°F apart — while precipitation totals roughly 25.8 inches over some 112 days.
Rio del Mar's moisture rides winter storm tracks: January brings 5.5 inches over 14.7 wet days, while July sees only 0.1 inches across 8.5 days in the dry warm season. That groups Rio del Mar with places like Aptos, CA, Seacliff, CA and Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley, CA on the same cool-season storm track.
Rio del Mar rarely sees a hard freeze — its coldest month sits near 51°F — so planting spans most of the calendar. Heat peaks in August around 66°F, which confines cool-season crops to the shoulders of summer. Within Rio del Mar, low or inland lots lose 3-5°F overnight versus Rio del Mar's coastal ground.
Similar climates: Aptos, CA, Seacliff, CA, Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley, CA, La Selva Beach, CA, Capitola, CA.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Rio del Mar?
- In Rio del Mar, expect the last spring frost near mid-April; Rio del Mar's first autumn frost comes around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Rio del Mar?
- Rio del Mar sees its heaviest rain in January (around 5.5 inches), part of roughly 26 inches a year.
- What is the warmest month in Rio del Mar?
- Rio del Mar peaks in August, when the mean runs near 66°F.
- What is the coldest month in Rio del Mar?
- January is Rio del Mar's coldest month, averaging about 51°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Rio del Mar?
- Around mid-April, start frost-hardy crops in Rio del Mar; tomatoes and basil belong a fortnight later.
- How many rainy days does Rio del Mar get?
- Rio del Mar averages about 112 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
- What hardiness zone is Rio del Mar?
- With January around 51°F, Rio del Mar's zone reflects that minimum — the USDA ZIP map confirms Rio del Mar's band.
- What is the 10-day forecast for Rio del Mar?
- Rio del Mar's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
- Will it rain this week in Rio del Mar?
- See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Rio del Mar in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
- What is the weather like right now in Rio del Mar?
- Current conditions for Rio del Mar and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
- How often is the Rio del Mar forecast updated?
- The Rio del Mar forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
- When are sunrise and sunset in Rio del Mar?
- Today's sunrise and sunset times for Rio del Mar are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
- How accurate is the weather forecast for Rio del Mar?
- The next few days in Rio del Mar's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.
Climate
In Rio del Mar, California, the hot-summer Mediterranean climate runs from about 51°F in January to 65°F in July, a 14°F seasonal range.
Yearly precipitation in Rio del Mar totals around 26 inches, spread over about 112 days of rain or snow.
From 37.0°N, Rio del Mar sees a 14°F seasonal swing that governs Rio del Mar's planting and frost windows.
ZIP codes in Rio del Mar
- 95003