Less rain and snow falls on California Pines than on 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 88°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 65% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. The outdoor season, with highs of 77–79°, runs through June and September.
A year in California Pines at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about California Pines’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with California Pines’ place in California State beside it.
What a year in California Pines feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 97 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 3 and the first by September 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alturas Muni Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts California Pines’ center in zone 6b: 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Adin Rs, CA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in California Pines
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Alturas Muni Airport.
Living with California Pines’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
97 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in California Pines from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →California Pines and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around California Pines yet.
Climates most like California Pines’, 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 Pines, CA | 22° | 88° | 15" | 45" |
| Suncrest, WA | 23° | 87° | 16" | 48" |
| Four Square Mile, CO | 19° | 89° | 16" | 49" |
| Orchard Homes, MT | 18° | 86° | 13" | 43" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
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 Pines averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Pines compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with California Pines’ place among California State’s.
California Pines weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at California Pines’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Adin Rs, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 22° | 1.8" | 9.3" | 11 | 9 | 25° – 41° |
| February | 46° | 24° | 1.5" | 8.1" | 9 | 4 | 27° – 42° |
| March | 52° | 28° | 1.5" | 7.1" | 11 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 1.7" | 3.9" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 38° | 1.8" | 0.8" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| June | 77° | 43° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| July | 88° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 86° | 47° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 79° | 41° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 65° | 32° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 51° | 26° | 1.5" | 5.2" | 9 | 2 | 28° – 44° |
| December | 42° | 21° | 2.0" | 10.3" | 11 | 8 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 63° | 33° | 14.5" | 45.1" | 82 | 26 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where California Pines’ 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 Pines’ center.
- Snow: Adin Rs, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alturas Muni Airport, 8 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 Pines’ climate
What is the weather like in California Pines?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in California Pines in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 196 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does California Pines get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Adin Rs, CA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 26 days a year.
How hot does it get in California Pines?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 50°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Alturas Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in California Pines?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 3 and the first fall frost by September 12, about 97 frost-free days, at Alturas Muni Airport.
What growing zone is California Pines in?
Zone 6b 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 California Pines?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is California Pines getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in California Pines.
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.