Cartago’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 99°
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 32°.
A year in Cartago at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cartago’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cartago’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Cartago feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 5 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Living with Cartago’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 8a.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 5.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cartago from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cartago and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cartago 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 Cartago averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
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 Cartago compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cartago’s place among California’s.
Cartago weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cartago’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 32° | 1.1" | 40° – 52° |
| February | 60° | 34° | 1.1" | 38° – 54° |
| March | 67° | 39° | 0.6" | 46° – 60° |
| April | 73° | 44° | 0.2" | 52° – 63° |
| May | 82° | 51° | 0.1" | 57° – 73° |
| June | 93° | 60° | 0.1" | 69° – 80° |
| July | 99° | 66° | 0.2" | 76° – 86° |
| August | 98° | 64° | 0.1" | 77° – 85° |
| September | 91° | 57° | 0.1" | 70° – 78° |
| October | 79° | 47° | 0.2" | 59° – 69° |
| November | 65° | 37° | 0.3" | 43° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 31° | 0.8" | 39° – 49° |
| Year | 76° | 47° | 5.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 73°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Cartago’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 Cartago’s center.
- 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 Cartago’s climate
What is the weather like in Cartago?
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 32°. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 167 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cartago in winter?
December nights average 31°. About 80 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How hot does it get in Cartago?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 66°. About 109 days a year reach 90° and 34 reach 100°.
What growing zone is Cartago in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cartago?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cartago 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 Cartago.
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.