Big Lagoon sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
Nights in January average 41°. Winter and summer sit 26° apart. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 92% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs December to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Big Lagoon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Lagoon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Lagoon’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Big Lagoon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 262 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 8 and the first by November 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Arcata Eureka Airport, 13 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Lagoon’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 54 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 128 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Eureka Wfo Woodley Island, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Big Lagoon
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Arcata Eureka Airport.
Living with Big Lagoon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
262 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 8 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August, September and October. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Lagoon from natural hazards, tsunamis are the largest share (53%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Lagoon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Lagoon yet.
Climates most like Big Lagoon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lagoon, CA | 41° | 65° | 54" | 0.0" |
| Coos Bay, OR | 40° | 66° | 61" | 0.2" |
| Sudden Valley, WA | 34° | 73° | 53" | 3.4" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
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 Big Lagoon averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Big Lagoon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Lagoon’s place among California’s.
Big Lagoon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Lagoon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Eureka Wfo Woodley Island, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 41° | 8.8" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| February | 55° | 41° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| March | 56° | 42° | 7.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 45° – 52° |
| April | 58° | 43° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| May | 60° | 46° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 56° |
| June | 63° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| July | 65° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| August | 66° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 62° |
| September | 66° | 49° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| October | 63° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| November | 57° | 43° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 54° | 40° | 10.6" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| Year | 60° | 45° | 53.8" | 0.0" | 128 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Big Lagoon’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 Big Lagoon’s center.
- Snow: Eureka Wfo Woodley Island, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Arcata Eureka Airport, 13 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; 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 Big Lagoon’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Lagoon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 65°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 22 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Lagoon in winter?
December nights average 40°. About 19 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Big Lagoon get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Eureka Wfo Woodley Island, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Big Lagoon?
July, with a typical high of 65°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Arcata Eureka Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Big Lagoon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 8 and the first fall frost by November 30, about 262 frost-free days, at Arcata Eureka Airport.
What growing zone is Big Lagoon in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Lagoon?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Big Lagoon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Lagoon.
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.