Photo: Craig Dietrich · CC BY 2.0California City reaches 100° on about 34 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 35°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on almost every U.S. town. The latest 30-year average runs 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Homes need heating from December to February, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in California City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about California City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with California City’s place in California State beside it.
What a year in California City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 241 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 15 and the first by November 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mojave, CA, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts California City’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Randsburg, CA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 7 inches a year; February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 24 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in California City
59% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mojave, CA.
Living with California City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
241 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 15 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 243 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in California City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →California City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around California City yet.
Climates most like California City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California City, CA | 35° | 100° | 7" | 2.2" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
| Safford, AZ | 32° | 100° | 9" | 0.2" |
| Socorro, TX | 31° | 97° | 9" | 2.8" |
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 California City averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 78% 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 California City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with California City’s place among California State’s.
California City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at California City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Randsburg, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 35° | 1.5" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| February | 62° | 38° | 1.7" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 42° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 42° | 1.0" | 0.6" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 47° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| May | 83° | 55° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 77° |
| June | 94° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 72° – 85° |
| July | 100° | 70° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 81° – 89° |
| August | 99° | 68° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 81° – 87° |
| September | 92° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| October | 80° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 67° | 41° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 45° – 61° |
| December | 57° | 33° | 1.0" | 0.8" | 3 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| Year | 78° | 51° | 6.6" | 2.2" | 24 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 59° to 77°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where California City’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 California City’s center.
- Snow: Randsburg, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mojave, CA, 18 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 California City’s climate
What is the weather like in California City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 100°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 124 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in California City in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 40 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does California City get?
About 2.2 inches in a normal winter at Randsburg, CA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in California City?
July, with a typical high of 100° and a low of 70°. About 110 days a year reach 90° and 34 reach 100° (Mojave, CA).
When is the first and last frost in California City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 15 and the first fall frost by November 17, about 241 frost-free days, at Mojave, CA.
What growing zone is California City in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit California City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is California City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in California City.
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.