Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0Belden gets about 109 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 90° on average. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 63° apart. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 79% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 22; in half of years the first frost comes by September 25.
A year in Belden at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Belden’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Belden’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Belden feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 122 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from Quincy, CA, 16 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Belden’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 109 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Canyon Dam, CA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Belden
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Quincy, CA.
Living with Belden’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
122 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by May 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Belden from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Belden and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Belden yet.
Climates most like Belden’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belden, CA | 27° | 90° | 34" | 109" |
| Bountiful, UT | 22° | 89° | 24" | 119" |
| Boulder, CO | 17° | 88° | 19" | 85" |
| Allegan, MI | 18° | 83° | 39" | 109" |
| Sandpoint, ID | 23° | 83° | 31" | 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 Belden averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Belden compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Belden’s place among California’s.
Belden weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Belden’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Canyon Dam, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 27° | 6.2" | 28.5" | 11 | 22 | 32° – 43° |
| February | 52° | 29° | 6.1" | 22.3" | 11 | 20 | 34° – 47° |
| March | 57° | 32° | 5.2" | 17.1" | 11 | 19 | 38° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 35° | 2.5" | 7.3" | 9 | 5 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 72° | 41° | 1.6" | 0.5" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 64° |
| June | 82° | 47° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 90° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 90° | 49° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 84° | 44° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 71° | 36° | 1.7" | 0.8" | 5 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 56° | 32° | 3.2" | 7.1" | 8 | 4 | 36° – 49° |
| December | 48° | 27° | 6.3" | 25.6" | 12 | 18 | 34° – 41° |
| Year | 68° | 37° | 33.9" | 109.3" | 81 | 88 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 64°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Belden’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 Belden’s center.
- Snow: Canyon Dam, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Quincy, CA, 16 miles from the town’s center, 730 ft higher; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Belden’s climate
What is the weather like in Belden?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 109 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Belden in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 143 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Belden get?
About 109 inches in a normal winter at Canyon Dam, CA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 88 days a year.
How hot does it get in Belden?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 51°. About 56 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Quincy, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Belden?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 122 frost-free days, at Quincy, CA.
What growing zone is Belden in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Belden?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Belden getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Belden.
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.