Riverside, California Weather
Coastal fog thickens at dawn. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Riverside weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Foggy——89°57°—
- ThursdayJun 4Clear——92°55°+3°
- FridayJun 5Clear——94°55°+2°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——88°68°-6°
- SundayJun 7Overcast——85°64°-3°
- MondayJun 8Overcast——88°64°+3°
- TuesdayJun 9Partly Cloudy——89°67°+1°
Ozone at AQI 157 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. AQI up 34 in the last 6 hours — air quality is degrading. Levels should ease through evening.
LIMIT OUTDOORS Limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Sensitive groups should avoid outdoor exertion. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities until AQI improves.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 157 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. Levels should ease through evening.
- Present
- AQI 157
- UV peak
- 4.0 at earlier today
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 157
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5/PM10 ratio 0.65 with 10 mph wind — characteristic of long-range haze transport rather than a local source.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.65
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- transport
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).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 5:23 AM
- Moonset
- 3:13 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Coastal fog thickens at dawn
Riverside at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 8°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: March 11 (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 3, 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 | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | — |
| May | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
August brings Riverside's warmest temperatures (~81°F mean) while December delivers the coldest (~56°F). February sees peak rainfall at 2.5 inches, then precipitation drops to just 0.1 inches in June.
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 2.2″ | 4 |
| February | 57° | 2.5″ | 5 |
| March | 60° | 1.6″ | 3 |
| April | 64° | 0.6″ | 1 |
| May | 68° | 0.2″ | 1 |
| June | 74° | 0.1″ | 0 |
| July | 80° | 0.1″ | 0 |
| August | 81° | 0.1″ | 0 |
| September | 77° | 0.1″ | 0 |
| October | 69° | 0.4″ | 1 |
| November | 61° | 0.7″ | 2 |
| December | 56° | 1.4″ | 3 |
Regional context
Riverside belongs to a hot-summer Mediterranean climate region that encompasses nearby cities with similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions.
Similar climates: Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, San Diego, CA, Sacramento, CA, San Jose, CA.
Naturalist notes
Late May brings the sweet fragrance of California orange blossoms across Riverside's citrus groves.
House finches begin their second nesting cycle around mid-June as summer heat settles over the valley.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Riverside?
- Riverside's last spring frost typically occurs around mid-March, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-December.
- What is the rainy season in Riverside?
- February brings the most rainfall with about 2.5 inches on average; the city receives roughly 10 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Riverside?
- August typically records the warmest temperatures, averaging about 81°F.
- What is the coldest month in Riverside?
- December typically brings the coldest temperatures, averaging about 56°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Riverside?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be planted around the last spring frost (mid-March); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) should wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Riverside get?
- Riverside averages about 19 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Riverside?
- Riverside's USDA hardiness zone depends on its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Riverside, California experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climate zone. January temperatures hover near 56°F while July averages 80°F — a 23°F seasonal swing.
Throughout the year, Riverside receives about 10 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 19 rainy days.
Geography shapes Riverside's weather patterns through its latitude (33.9°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation. These factors determine what grows here, when frost is likely, and the daily weather patterns.