Empire, California Weather
Coastal fog thickens at dawn. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Empire weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Overcast——94°59°—
- ThursdayJun 4Clear——95°61°+1°
- FridayJun 5Overcast——101°63°+6°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——91°62°-10°
- SundayJun 7Overcast——89°52°-2°
- MondayJun 8Overcast——85°57°-4°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast——82°59°-3°
Ozone at AQI 71 now. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). With UV 0.2 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 17 by mid-afternoon.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 71 now. With UV 0.2 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 17 by mid-afternoon.
- Present
- AQI 71
- UV peak
- 0.2 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 17
PM × Wind × Precip
PM10 at 52.5 µg/m³ (AQI 49) with a 0.26 fine-to-coarse ratio under 11 mph wind — coarse road or agricultural dust being kicked up.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.26
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- blown dust
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).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 6:28 AM
- Moonset
- 4:18 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Coastal fog thickens at dawn
Empire at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 8°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 2 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 4, 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.
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
Empire's warmest month is July (~79°F mean) and its coldest is December (~47°F). Rainfall peaks in January (2.6 inches) and bottoms out in July (0.0 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 2.6″ | 6 |
| February | 52° | 2.2″ | 6 |
| March | 57° | 1.8″ | 5 |
| April | 61° | 1.0″ | 3 |
| May | 68° | 0.7″ | 2 |
| June | 75° | 0.1″ | 0 |
| July | 79° | 0.0″ | 0 |
| August | 78° | 0.0″ | 0 |
| September | 74° | 0.1″ | 0 |
| October | 65° | 0.6″ | 1 |
| November | 55° | 1.1″ | 3 |
| December | 47° | 2.2″ | 6 |
Regional context
Empire sits within a hot-summer Mediterranean climate region — a cohort that shares similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions across nearby cities.
Similar climates: Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, San Diego, CA, Riverside, CA, Sacramento, CA.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Empire?
- Empire's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Empire?
- January is the wettest month with about 2.6 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 12 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Empire?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 79°F.
- What is the coldest month in Empire?
- December is typically coldest, averaging about 47°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Empire?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-April); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Empire get?
- Empire averages about 30 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Empire?
- Empire's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Empire, California sits in a hot-summer Mediterranean climate zone. January means hover near 48°F while July averages 79°F — a 31°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Empire receives about 12 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 30 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (37.6°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.