Climate and average weather in La Quinta
In La Quinta, the summers are sweltering, dry, and clear and the winters are mild and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in La Quinta typically varies from 42°F to 99°F, and is rarely below 35°F or above 105°F. July is the hottest month of the year, while December is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit La Quinta for warm-weather activities are from late February to mid May and early October to early December.
- Hottest
- Jul
- 99°
- Coldest
- Dec
- 42°
- Wettest
- Feb
- 1.3 in
- Driest
- Jun
- 0.0 in
- Rain / yr
- 6.0 in
- 25 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.8–14.2 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 135 ft
- 33.7°N
- Clearest
- Jun
- 12% cloud
La Quinta is city in Riverside County, California, United States.
- Density
- 438/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1982
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
La Quinta weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around late February to mid May.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in La Quinta, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.8 months, from June 1 to September 25, with daily high temperatures above 89°F. The hottest month of the year in La Quinta is July, with an average high of 99°F and low of 75°F.
The cool season lasts 3.5 months, from November 21 to March 5, with daily high temperatures below 68°F. The coldest month of the year in La Quinta is December, with an average low of 42°F and high of 61°F.
Days typically run about 22°F warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 26°F) in June.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 62 | 65 | 71 | 77 | 85 | 94 | 99 | 98 | 92 | 82 | 70 | 61 |
| Avg low (°F) | 43 | 45 | 49 | 54 | 60 | 68 | 75 | 75 | 69 | 59 | 48 | 42 |
| Avg high (°F) | Avg low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 43 |
| Feb | 65 | 45 |
| Mar | 71 | 49 |
| Apr | 77 | 54 |
| May | 85 | 60 |
| Jun | 94 | 68 |
| Jul | 99 | 75 |
| Aug | 98 | 75 |
| Sep | 92 | 69 |
| Oct | 82 | 59 |
| Nov | 70 | 48 |
| Dec | 61 | 42 |
How hot and cold La Quinta really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, La Quinta feels like about 99°F (around July 15). About 117 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°F) | 62 | 65 | 71 | 77 | 85 | 94 | 99 | 98 | 92 | 82 | 70 | 61 |
| Air high (°F) | 62 | 65 | 71 | 77 | 85 | 94 | 99 | 98 | 92 | 82 | 70 | 61 |
| Feels-like low (°F) | 41 | 43 | 48 | 54 | 60 | 68 | 75 | 75 | 69 | 59 | 48 | 40 |
| Air low (°F) | 43 | 45 | 49 | 54 | 60 | 68 | 75 | 75 | 69 | 59 | 48 | 42 |
| Feels-like high (°F) | Air high (°F) | Feels-like low (°F) | Air low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 62 | 41 | 43 |
| Feb | 65 | 65 | 43 | 45 |
| Mar | 71 | 71 | 48 | 49 |
| Apr | 77 | 77 | 54 | 54 |
| May | 85 | 85 | 60 | 60 |
| Jun | 94 | 94 | 68 | 68 |
| Jul | 99 | 99 | 75 | 75 |
| Aug | 98 | 98 | 75 | 75 |
| Sep | 92 | 92 | 69 | 69 |
| Oct | 82 | 82 | 59 | 59 |
| Nov | 70 | 70 | 48 | 48 |
| Dec | 61 | 61 | 40 | 42 |
Average hourly temperature in La Quinta
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 99°F, and coldest before dawn in December, near 42°F.
La Quinta weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62° / 43° | 1.1 | 3.6 | 10 | 6.6 |
| Feb | 65° / 45° | 1.3 | 4.1 | 10.7 | 7.1 |
| Mar | 71° / 49° | 0.7 | 2.9 | 11.7 | 8.1 |
| Apr | 77° / 54° | 0.3 | 1.5 | 12.8 | 8.8 |
| May | 85° / 60° | 0.1 | 0.9 | 13.7 | 7.0 |
| Jun | 94° / 68° | 0.0 | 0.2 | 14.2 | 3.8 |
| Jul | 99° / 75° | 0.3 | 1.9 | 14 | 1.9 |
| Aug | 98° / 75° | 0.3 | 2.2 | 13.2 | 2.2 |
| Sep | 92° / 69° | 0.3 | 1.8 | 12.2 | 4.4 |
| Oct | 82° / 59° | 0.3 | 1.2 | 11.2 | 8.0 |
| Nov | 70° / 48° | 0.3 | 1.5 | 10.3 | 8.4 |
| Dec | 61° / 42° | 1.0 | 2.9 | 9.8 | 6.3 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
La Quinta gets about 6.0 in of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is mostly dry, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 4.3 months, from around Nov 26 to Apr 5, peaking in February at about 16% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jun 9.
February is the wettest month by volume, with 1.3 in over about 4 wet days; June is the driest, with 0.0 in.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 11 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| Rain days | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | 4 |
| Feb | 14 | 4 |
| Mar | 10 | 3 |
| Apr | 5 | 2 |
| May | 3 | 1 |
| Jun | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 6 | 2 |
| Aug | 7 | 2 |
| Sep | 6 | 2 |
| Oct | 4 | 1 |
| Nov | 5 | 2 |
| Dec | 9 | 3 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, La Quinta collects about 6.0 in of rain across 25 wet days — roughly 0.5 in in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. February is the wettest month with 1.3 in, while June is the driest at just 0.0 in. The three wettest months alone bring about 56% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Rain days | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Rainfall (in) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.1 | 4 |
| Feb | 1.3 | 4 |
| Mar | 0.7 | 3 |
| Apr | 0.3 | 2 |
| May | 0.1 | 1 |
| Jun | 0.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0.3 | 2 |
| Aug | 0.3 | 2 |
| Sep | 0.3 | 2 |
| Oct | 0.3 | 1 |
| Nov | 0.3 | 2 |
| Dec | 1.0 | 3 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In La Quinta, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around April 11 and lasts for 7.0 months, ending around November 8. The clearest month is September, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 94% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around November 9 and lasts for 5.0 months, ending around April 10. The cloudiest month is February, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 33% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 68 | 67 | 76 | 84 | 89 | 93 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 89 | 79 | 69 |
| Cloudier (%) | 32 | 33 | 24 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 21 | 31 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68 | 32 |
| Feb | 67 | 33 |
| Mar | 76 | 24 |
| Apr | 84 | 16 |
| May | 89 | 11 |
| Jun | 93 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 9 |
| Aug | 93 | 7 |
| Sep | 94 | 6 |
| Oct | 89 | 11 |
| Nov | 79 | 21 |
| Dec | 69 | 31 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 8, brings about 14 h 12 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 9 h 48 min — a swing of roughly 4 h 24 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.0 | 10.7 | 11.7 | 12.8 | 13.7 | 14.2 | 14.0 | 13.2 | 12.2 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:55 | 6:37 | 6:03 | 5:20 | 4:49 | 4:39 | 4:50 | 5:12 | 5:33 | 5:56 | 6:24 | 6:48 |
| Sunset (PM) | 4:54 | 5:22 | 5:47 | 6:11 | 6:34 | 6:52 | 6:52 | 6:27 | 5:46 | 5:05 | 4:37 | 4:35 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.0 | 6:55 | 4:54 |
| Feb | 10.7 | 6:37 | 5:22 |
| Mar | 11.7 | 6:03 | 5:47 |
| Apr | 12.8 | 5:20 | 6:11 |
| May | 13.7 | 4:49 | 6:34 |
| Jun | 14.2 | 4:39 | 6:52 |
| Jul | 14.0 | 4:50 | 6:52 |
| Aug | 13.2 | 5:12 | 6:27 |
| Sep | 12.2 | 5:33 | 5:46 |
| Oct | 11.2 | 5:56 | 5:05 |
| Nov | 10.3 | 6:24 | 4:37 |
| Dec | 9.8 | 6:48 | 4:35 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
La Quinta averages about 22 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 15 and 27 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 6.8 months, from around Apr 15 to Nov 6. The sunniest month is September, with roughly 27 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is February, down near 16 sunny days — about 42% fewer than the September peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 17 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 21 | 18 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | Bright |
| Feb | 15 | Bright |
| Mar | 18 | Bright |
| Apr | 22 | Bright |
| May | 24 | Brilliant |
| Jun | 26 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 25 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 26 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 27 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 25 | Brilliant |
| Nov | 21 | Bright |
| Dec | 18 | Bright |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In La Quinta, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in July, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 9% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 98 | 78 | 76 | 87 | 99 | 100 | 100 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 98 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 78 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| Aug | 76 | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Sep | 87 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| Oct | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in La Quinta is typically calm, near 4 mph, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.2 months, from around Mar 8 to Aug 11. The windiest month is May, averaging about 5 mph (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Aug 12 to Mar 7, with January the calmest month at about 3 mph.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (mph) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (mph) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | calm |
| Feb | 4 | calm |
| Mar | 4 | calm |
| Apr | 5 | calm |
| May | 5 | calm |
| Jun | 5 | calm |
| Jul | 4 | calm |
| Aug | 4 | calm |
| Sep | 4 | calm |
| Oct | 4 | calm |
| Nov | 3 | calm |
| Dec | 3 | calm |
Best time to visit La Quinta
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in La Quinta throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around early March, La Quinta is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 64°F and 82°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit La Quinta for general outdoor tourist activities run from late February to mid May and again from early October to early December, with a peak score in the first week of November.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 6.6 | 7.1 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 7.0 | 3.8 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 4.4 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 6.4 |
| Rating | good | good | ideal | ideal | good | fair | poor | poor | fair | ideal | ideal | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.6 | good |
| Feb | 7.1 | good |
| Mar | 8.1 | ideal |
| Apr | 8.7 | ideal |
| May | 7.0 | good |
| Jun | 3.8 | fair |
| Jul | 1.9 | poor |
| Aug | 2.2 | poor |
| Sep | 4.4 | fair |
| Oct | 8.0 | ideal |
| Nov | 8.3 | ideal |
| Dec | 6.4 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 75°F and 93°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit La Quinta for hot-weather activities run from early April to mid June and again from early September to early November, with a peak score in the second week of May.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for La Quinta, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 99°F), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around December (highs near 61°F), pack a warm layer.
In July, La Quinta sees daytime highs around 99°F and nights near 75°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
UV index (midday) in La Quinta by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in La Quinta peaks around June 23 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 3 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | Moderate |
| Feb | 5 | Moderate |
| Mar | 5 | Moderate |
| Apr | 8 | Very high |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 9 | Very high |
| Oct | 6 | High |
| Nov | 4 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in La Quinta
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in June the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 3 | 4.5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 7 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 4.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | 0 |
| Feb | 4.5 | 0 |
| Mar | 5 | 0 |
| Apr | 7 | 4 |
| May | 8 | 5 |
| Jun | 9 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Aug | 8 | 6 |
| Sep | 7 | 4.5 |
| Oct | 5.5 | 1 |
| Nov | 3.5 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Air quality in La Quinta by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in La Quinta is worst in September — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.3× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Good | Good | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | Good |
| Feb | 7 | Good |
| Mar | 8 | Good |
| Apr | 8 | Good |
| May | 7 | Good |
| Jun | 14 | Moderate |
| Jul | 10 | Good |
| Aug | 11 | Good |
| Sep | 20 | Moderate |
| Oct | 6 | Good |
| Nov | 5 | Good |
| Dec | 5 | Good |
Growing season
La Quinta is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 98 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 98 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 98 | 0 |
| Feb | 99 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 98 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 50°F: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. La Quinta banks about 6,762 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°F·days) | 81 | 137 | 306 | 460 | 705 | 932 | 1,142 | 1,134 | 916 | 621 | 274 | 53 |
| Growing degree days (°F·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 81 |
| Feb | 137 |
| Mar | 306 |
| Apr | 460 |
| May | 705 |
| Jun | 932 |
| Jul | 1,142 |
| Aug | 1,134 |
| Sep | 916 |
| Oct | 621 |
| Nov | 274 |
| Dec | 53 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
La Quinta receives about 6.0 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.1 and 8.6 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.4 months, from around Mar 17 to Sep 27. The brightest month is June, averaging about 8.5 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 3.2 kWh/m² — roughly 63% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 3.4 | 4.4 | 6.0 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 8.6 | 7.9 | 7.3 | 6.4 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
| Level | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.4 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4.4 | Bright |
| Mar | 6.0 | Bright |
| Apr | 7.3 | Intense |
| May | 8.1 | Intense |
| Jun | 8.6 | Intense |
| Jul | 7.9 | Intense |
| Aug | 7.3 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.4 | Intense |
| Oct | 5.1 | Bright |
| Nov | 3.8 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3.2 | Moderate |
Where is La Quinta?
La Quinta sits at 33.7°N, 116.3°W, 135 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Palm Desert, 5.6 mi away.
Topography around La Quinta
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of La Quinta.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around La Quinta has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,178 ft around an average of 479 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,713 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 11,650 ft.
The land around La Quinta is covered by bare terrain (60%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 2 miles, bare terrain (39%), shrubs (26%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 10 miles, and bare terrain (47%) and shrubs (28%) within 50 miles.
United States travel facts
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 100% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $90,027
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 5.8
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for La Quinta (33.6634°, -116.31°, elevation 135 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).