2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Palo Alto, CA vs Lake Forest, CA

Highlights

On average, there are 279 sunny days per year in Lake Forest. Palo Alto averages 261 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Lake Forest, California gets 14.2 inches of rain, on average, per year. Palo Alto, California gets 17.3 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Lake Forest averages 0 inches of snow per year. Palo Alto averages 0 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Lake Forest, California
Summer High: the July high is around 85.3 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 45.2
Rain: averages 14.2 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

Palo Alto, California
Summer High: the July high is around 79.8 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 40.5
Rain: averages 17.3 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 0 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Lake Forest is 9.1 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in California.

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Palo Alto is 8.8 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in California.

Today's Weather - Palo Alto, CA

52°F

Today's Weather - Lake Forest, CA

59°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Palo Alto / Lake Forest

July is the hottest month for Palo Alto with an average high temperature of 79.8°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in California. In Palo Alto, there are 6 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Palo Alto are June, September and August.

August is the hottest month for Lake Forest with an average high temperature of 87.0°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in California. In Lake Forest, there are 5 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Lake Forest are October, June and May.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Palo Alto with an average of 40.2°. This is warmer than most places in California.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Lake Forest with an average of 44.5°. This is warmer than most places in California.

In Palo Alto, there are 13.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in California.

In Lake Forest, there are 36.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In Palo Alto, there are 7.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

In Lake Forest, there are 1.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in California.

In Palo Alto, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

In Lake Forest, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in California.

February is the wettest month in Palo Alto with 3.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 58% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 17.3 inches in Palo Alto means that it is about average compared to other places in California.


February is the wettest month in Lake Forest with 3.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.0 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 60% of yearly precipitation and 1% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 14.2 inches in Lake Forest means that it is drier than most places in California.

January is the rainiest month in Palo Alto with 10.2 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 0.1 rainy days. There are 60.6 rainy days annually in Palo Alto, which is about average compared to other places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 50% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 2% chance of a rainy day.

February is the rainiest month in Lake Forest with 6.3 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 0.4 rainy days. There are 36.5 rainy days annually in Lake Forest, which is less rainy than most places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 49% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 5% chance of a rainy day.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Palo Alto, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

There is rarely any recorded snowfall in Lake Forest, ranking it as one of the least snowy places in California.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Palo Alto.

Any measurable snowfall is a rare occurance in Lake Forest.