Blue Lake’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 76°
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 40°.
A year in Blue Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Blue Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Blue Lake’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Blue Lake 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 Arcata Eureka Airport, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Blue Lake’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. 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 August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Blue Lake
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Arcata Eureka Airport.
Living with Blue Lake’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: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 3.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Blue Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Blue Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Blue Lake yet.
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 Blue Lake averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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 Blue Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Blue Lake’s place among California’s.
Blue Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Blue Lake’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 40° | 8.7" | 41° – 52° |
| February | 56° | 40° | 7.5" | 43° – 52° |
| March | 59° | 41° | 7.8" | 46° – 53° |
| April | 62° | 43° | 5.1" | 49° – 57° |
| May | 66° | 46° | 2.8" | 53° – 60° |
| June | 71° | 50° | 1.0" | 56° – 63° |
| July | 76° | 53° | 0.2" | 62° – 67° |
| August | 76° | 53° | 0.2" | 63° – 68° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 0.9" | 60° – 66° |
| October | 68° | 46° | 3.2" | 53° – 61° |
| November | 58° | 42° | 6.7" | 43° – 53° |
| December | 52° | 39° | 10.5" | 41° – 51° |
| Year | 64° | 45° | 54.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 52°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Blue Lake’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 Blue Lake’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Arcata Eureka Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Blue Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Blue Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 40°. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Blue Lake in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 19 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How hot does it get in Blue Lake?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Arcata Eureka Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Blue Lake?
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 Blue Lake in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Blue Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Blue Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Blue Lake.
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.