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National City has a cold semi-arid climate.
Dry country, big sun, modest rain — here's what that means in plain terms.
What this climate feels like
The four things a regular visitor actually wants to know:
Highs near 24°C in August. About 4 days a year above 32 °C.
Lows near 8°C in December. About 1 freezing nights a year.
About 218 mm of rain a year. Wettest in February.
A roughly even mix of sun and cloud.
What "cold semi-arid" means
Climate scientists sort every place on Earth into about 30 climate types, based on how hot, cold, wet and dry it is across the year. National City's type — cold semi-arid — sits in the broad family of dry climates — deserts and steppes.
Researchers write climate types as a short letter code. Here is what each letter means:
Cities with the same climate as National City
A cold semi-arid climate (BSk) — these recognizable cities share it. If you know one of them, you know roughly what to expect.
Has National City's climate type changed?
Stable — National City's climate has held the same type between the 1971–2000 and 1991–2020 normals. The label is steady; the climate beneath it is still warming.
What this climate means for you
Native prairie grasses, hardy conifers and cold-tolerant fruit (apples, cherries) excel. Lawns need irrigation.
Spring through autumn is comfortable; winters are cold and sometimes blustery. Sun is abundant year-round.
Four real seasons, but dry. Cold winters need heating; summers are warm and pleasant by day with cool nights.
Where these numbers come from
The climate type and the month-by-month figures on this page are computed from National City's measured 30-year climate normals (1991–2020) — the same official records behind National City's main climate page, so the two always agree.
Long-range climate maps measure things slightly differently and can place a city in a neighbouring category. Where they differ, this page uses the measured station record as the climate today.
Methodology & sources
Temperature & precipitation — the official 1991–2020 climate normals from NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals, measured at Imperial Beach Ream Fld Nas (NOAA GHCN station USW00093115), about 12 km from the city centre.