Photo: User:Mrgooseskin · CC BY-SA 3.0Alleghany gets about 82 inches of snow a winter, more than 95% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. The wettest month is December; the driest is July. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on almost every U.S. town. Tender plants can go out after about May 4; in half of years the first frost comes by October 30.
A year in Alleghany at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alleghany’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alleghany’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Alleghany feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Strawberry Valley, CA, 16 miles from the town’s center, 410 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alleghany’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 82 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Strawberry Valley, CA, is heaviest from January through February, about 19 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 72 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alleghany
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Strawberry Valley, CA.
Living with Alleghany’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by May 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alleghany from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alleghany and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alleghany yet.
Climates most like Alleghany’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alleghany, CA | 31° | 83° | 72" | 82" |
| Randolph Town, MA | 20° | 83° | 51" | 70" |
| Elkins, WV | 21° | 82° | 50" | 69" |
| Boone, NC | 24° | 79° | 58" | 26" |
| Scituate, RI | 19° | 82° | 51" | 62" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Alleghany averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 76% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Alleghany compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alleghany’s place among California’s.
Alleghany weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alleghany’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Strawberry Valley, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 31° | 12.4" | 17.7" | 13 | 14 | 33° – 45° |
| February | 48° | 31° | 11.8" | 19.4" | 12 | 12 | 31° – 47° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 11.1" | 17.1" | 12 | 10 | 34° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 6.1" | 8.1" | 9 | 5 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 62° |
| June | 75° | 49° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 83° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 78° | 50° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 67° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.5" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 35° | 7.6" | 3.5" | 9 | 2 | 35° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 31° | 13.3" | 15.1" | 12 | 10 | 34° – 43° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 72.3" | 82.0" | 85 | 54 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 62°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Alleghany’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Alleghany’s center.
- Snow: Strawberry Valley, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Strawberry Valley, CA, 16 miles from the town’s center, 410 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Alleghany’s climate
What is the weather like in Alleghany?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 82 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alleghany in winter?
December nights average 31°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Alleghany get?
About 82 inches in a normal winter at Strawberry Valley, CA, heaviest from January through February, about 19 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 54 days a year.
How hot does it get in Alleghany?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 55°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Strawberry Valley, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Alleghany?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 174 frost-free days, at Strawberry Valley, CA.
What growing zone is Alleghany in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alleghany?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alleghany getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alleghany.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.