Cherokee Strip reaches 100° on about 30 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 40°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on almost every U.S. town. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.9° higher. From February to April and October to November, highs of 65–81° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Cherokee Strip at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cherokee Strip’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cherokee Strip’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Cherokee Strip feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 315 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 31 and the first by December 5. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Shafter 6e, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Wasco, CA, 10 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cherokee Strip’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 7 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 34 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Wasco, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Cherokee Strip
46% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Wasco, CA.
Living with Cherokee Strip’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
315 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Jan 31 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cherokee Strip from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cherokee Strip and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cherokee Strip yet.
Climates most like Cherokee Strip’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Strip, CA | 40° | 99° | 7" | 0.2" |
| Three Points, AZ | 37° | 99° | 11" | 0.1" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Canutillo, TX | 32° | 96° | 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 Cherokee Strip averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Cherokee Strip compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cherokee Strip’s place among California’s.
Cherokee Strip weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cherokee Strip’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wasco, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 40° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| February | 65° | 43° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| March | 71° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| April | 77° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 85° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 79° |
| June | 93° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| July | 99° | 69° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| August | 97° | 67° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| September | 92° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| October | 81° | 54° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| November | 68° | 44° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 59° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| Year | 79° | 53° | 6.9" | 0.2" | 34 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 62° to 79°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Cherokee Strip’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 Cherokee Strip’s center.
- Snow: Wasco, CA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Wasco, CA, 10 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Shafter 6e, CA, 7 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 Cherokee Strip’s climate
What is the weather like in Cherokee Strip?
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 162 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cherokee Strip in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 35 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Cherokee Strip get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Wasco, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Cherokee Strip?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 69°. About 114 days a year reach 90° and 30 reach 100° (Wasco, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Cherokee Strip?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 31 and the first fall frost by December 5, about 315 frost-free days, at Wasco, CA.
What growing zone is Cherokee Strip 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 Cherokee Strip?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cherokee Strip getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cherokee Strip.
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.