Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Baker reaches 100° on about 115 days a year, more than all but 41 U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 36°. The wettest month is February; the driest is June. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than almost every U.S. town. Plan time outside for February, March and November, when highs sit at 70–77°.
A year in Baker at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Baker’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Baker’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Baker feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 287 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 14 and the first by November 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Baker, CA, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Baker’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 4 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 21 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Baker, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Baker
32% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Baker, CA.
Living with Baker’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
287 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 14 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March and November. 3.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Baker from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Baker and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Baker yet.
Climates most like Baker’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker, CA | 36° | 109° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Maricopa, AZ | 39° | 106° | 7" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Monahans, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 0.7" |
| Carlsbad, NM | 29° | 97° | 13" | 2.7" |
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 Baker averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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 Baker compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Baker’s place among California’s.
Baker weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Baker’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Baker, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 36° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| February | 70° | 42° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 64° |
| March | 77° | 47° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| April | 84° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| May | 94° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 86° |
| June | 104° | 72° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 82° – 93° |
| July | 109° | 79° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 89° – 97° |
| August | 108° | 77° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 89° – 96° |
| September | 101° | 69° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 81° – 89° |
| October | 87° | 56° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| November | 73° | 43° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| December | 62° | 35° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| Year | 86° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 64°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Baker’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 Baker’s center.
- Snow: Baker, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baker, CA, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Baker’s climate
What is the weather like in Baker?
A typical July afternoon reaches 109°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 6 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Baker in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 33 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Baker get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Baker, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Baker?
July, with a typical high of 109° and a low of 79°. About 163 days a year reach 90° and 115 reach 100° (Baker, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Baker?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 14 and the first fall frost by November 27, about 287 frost-free days, at Baker, CA.
What growing zone is Baker in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Baker?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Baker getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Baker.
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.