Joshua Tree records about 117mm of rain across roughly 12 wet days a year, which is a 3% chance on an average day. March is the wettest month at 12mm (10% of the annual total) and June the driest at 1mm. Local rain type: brief showers. Joshua Tree is desert-dry — rain is rare and celebrated. Summer heat (45°C+) is a bigger concern than rain.
Chance of rain on an average day: 3%
Rainfall climatology for Joshua Tree. The live hour-by-hour answer for today loads at the top of this page from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day — the figures below describe a typical year, not today.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Annual rainfall | 117mm |
| Rain days per year | 12 |
| Odds on an average day | 3% |
| Wettest month | March — 12mm over 2 days |
| Driest month | June — 1mm over 1 days |
| Rain type | brief showers |
| Best dry window | October through May offers comfortable temperatures — summer is dangerously hot. |
| Worst rain window | Summer heat is the primary weather concern, not rain. |
March delivers 1100% more rain than June (12mm vs 1mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.
No single month holds more than 10% of the annual total, so rain in Joshua Tree is spread through the year — there is no season you can rely on being dry.
Joshua Tree rain typically comes as discrete showers, so a compact umbrella and a flexible plan are usually enough.
Rain falls on about 2 days in March against 1 in June — the frequency swing matters more for planning than the millimetre totals.
Climate normals. Use them to judge whether today's live forecast at the top of the page is typical or unusual for the season.
| Month | Rainfall | Rain days | Chance on a given day | Highs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12mm | 2 | 7% | 16°C |
| February | 11mm | 2 | 7% | 16°C |
| March | 12mm | 2 | 7% | 19°C |
| April | 5mm | 1 | 3% | 25°C |
| May | 3mm | 1 | 3% | 30°C |
| June | 1mm | 1 | 3% | 36°C |
| July | 4mm | 1 | 3% | 39°C |
| August | 8mm | 1 | 3% | 39°C |
| September | 4mm | 1 | 3% | 36°C |
| October | 5mm | 1 | 3% | 30°C |
| November | 8mm | 1 | 3% | 25°C |
| December | 8mm | 1 | 3% | 19°C |
Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Joshua Tree we combine the hourly probability curve, expected volume in millimetres, and the city's own rainfall record into a single umbrella verdict.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly probability | 40% | Peak and sustained chance of measurable rain across the next 24 hours. |
| Expected volume | 30% | Total millimetres, which separates a passing shower from a genuine soaking. |
| Timing & duration | 20% | When rain starts, when it eases, and the longest continuous dry window. |
| Local rain type | 10% | Drizzle, brief showers, thunderstorms or monsoon — each needs different gear. |
Live hourly values come from Open-Meteo and refresh through the day. Monthly rainfall figures are climate normals, so they describe a typical year rather than a forecast.
Joshua Tree records rain on roughly 12 days a year — about a 3% chance on any given day — totalling around 117mm.
March, with about 12mm over 2 rain days. That is 10% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.
June is the driest month at 1mm across roughly 1 days. October through May offers comfortable temperatures — summer is dangerously hot.
Joshua Tree is desert-dry — rain is rare and celebrated. Summer heat (45°C+) is a bigger concern than rain.
No. Probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm of rain falls at your location at some point in the period. Check the expected millimetres alongside it: 40% with 0.4mm is a passing shower, 40% with 12mm is a soaking.