Photo: Foo39 · CC BY-SA 4.0Catheys Valley has some of the warmest summer afternoons among U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 37°. A year here swings 59° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 89% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from December to February, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Catheys Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Catheys Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Catheys Valley’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Catheys Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 273 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 26 and the first by November 25. Frost dates and degree days from Merced Muni Airport, 25 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Catheys Valley’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 52 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Merced, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Catheys Valley
62% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Merced Muni Airport.
Living with Catheys Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
273 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 26 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Heat waves are 48% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Catheys Valley from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Catheys Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Catheys Valley yet.
Climates most like Catheys Valley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catheys Valley, CA | 37° | 96° | 21" | 0.0" |
| Pearsall, TX | 41° | 97° | 24" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
| Chaparral, NM | 31° | 95° | 9" | 0.0" |
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 Catheys Valley averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 Catheys Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Catheys Valley’s place among California’s.
Catheys Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Catheys Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Merced, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 37° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| February | 59° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| March | 64° | 42° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 61° |
| April | 70° | 45° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| May | 79° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 73° |
| June | 89° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| July | 96° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| August | 94° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| September | 89° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| October | 78° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 64° | 41° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 43° – 59° |
| December | 55° | 36° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| Year | 74° | 48° | 21.0" | 0.0" | 52 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 55° to 73°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Catheys Valley’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 Catheys Valley’s center.
- Snow: Merced, CA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Merced Muni Airport, 25 miles away.
- 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 Catheys Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Catheys Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Catheys Valley in winter?
December nights average 36°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Catheys Valley get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Merced, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Catheys Valley?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 63°. About 100 days a year reach 90° (Merced Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Catheys Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 26 and the first fall frost by November 25, about 273 frost-free days, at Merced Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Catheys Valley in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Catheys Valley?
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 Catheys Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Catheys Valley.
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.