Big River reaches 100° on about 126 days a year, more than all but 5 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 109°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Big River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big River’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Big River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 days a year reach 100°
And 185 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Parker, AZ, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big River’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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
January is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 17 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Parker, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Big River
19% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Parker, AZ.
Living with Big River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. Frost comes about 9 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 126 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big River from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (98%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big River and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big River yet.
Climates most like Big River’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 River, CA | 42° | 109° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Moapa Valley, NV | 37° | 108° | 6" | 0.0" |
| Maricopa, AZ | 39° | 106° | 7" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 0.1" |
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 River averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big River’s place among California’s.
Big River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Parker, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 42° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| February | 72° | 46° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| March | 80° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| April | 88° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| May | 96° | 67° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 88° |
| June | 106° | 75° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 85° – 95° |
| July | 109° | 83° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 92° – 99° |
| August | 109° | 82° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 92° – 99° |
| September | 103° | 75° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 86° – 92° |
| October | 90° | 62° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| November | 77° | 50° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| December | 66° | 42° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| Year | 89° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 59° to 73°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Big River’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 River’s center.
- Snow: Parker, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Parker, AZ, 4 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 Big River’s climate
What is the weather like in Big River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 109°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 6 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big River in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Big River get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Parker, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Big River?
July, with a typical high of 109° and a low of 83°. About 185 days a year reach 90° and 126 reach 100° (Parker, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Big River?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 88% of winters at Parker, AZ, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Big River in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big River?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Big River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big River.
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.