Photo: Public domain · Public domainBurney’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Burney at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Burney’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Burney’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Burney feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 102 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 3 and the first by September 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Burney, CA, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Burney’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buckhorn, CA, falls mostly in January and March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Burney
96% 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 Burney, CA.
Living with Burney’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
102 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Jun 3 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 9.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Burney from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Burney and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Burney yet.
Climates most like Burney’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burney, CA | 27° | 90° | 25" | 21" |
| South Ogden, UT | 21° | 91° | 22" | 23" |
| Payson, AZ | 30° | 92° | 20" | 19" |
| Pampa, TX | 24° | 93° | 22" | 16" |
| Pratt, KS | 21° | 92° | 27" | 15" |
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 Burney averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 61% 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 Burney compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Burney’s place among California’s.
Burney weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Burney’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buckhorn, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 27° | 4.1" | 7.0" | 13 | 3 | 30° – 43° |
| February | 51° | 29° | 3.4" | 4.1" | 12 | 2 | 34° – 47° |
| March | 57° | 31° | 3.5" | 6.8" | 13 | 4 | 36° – 51° |
| April | 63° | 35° | 2.2" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 41° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 63° |
| June | 81° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| July | 90° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 89° | 50° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 83° | 45° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 70° | 37° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 54° | 31° | 2.6" | 0.8" | 10 | 0 | 33° – 49° |
| December | 46° | 27° | 4.4" | 1.9" | 13 | 1 | 32° – 41° |
| Year | 67° | 38° | 25.1" | 20.9" | 95 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 63°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Burney’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 Burney’s center.
- Snow: Buckhorn, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Burney, CA, 1.2 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 Burney’s climate
What is the weather like in Burney?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Burney in winter?
December nights average 27°. About 178 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Burney get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Buckhorn, CA, most of it in January and March, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Burney?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 53°. About 49 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Burney, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Burney?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 3 and the first fall frost by September 14, about 102 frost-free days, at Burney, CA.
What growing zone is Burney in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Burney?
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 Burney getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Burney.
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.