Bidwell Mansion · Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0Chico reaches 100° on about 25 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Chico at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chico’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chico’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Chico feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 257 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 4 and the first by November 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chico Univ Farm, CA, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chico’s center in zone 9b: 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 31 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 63 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Orland, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Chico
64% 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 Chico Univ Farm, CA.
Living with Chico’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
257 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 4 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. 92 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chico from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chico and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Chico in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Chico’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chico, CA | 38° | 96° | 31" | 0.0" |
| Lago Vista, TX | 37° | 96° | 33" | 0.0" |
| Lawton, OK | 29° | 96° | 32" | 1.8" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Chico averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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. In a city of 105,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Chico compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chico’s place among California’s.
Chico weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chico’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Orland, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 38° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| February | 62° | 41° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 46° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| May | 82° | 53° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 75° |
| June | 90° | 59° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| July | 96° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 95° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| September | 91° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| October | 80° | 50° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| November | 65° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 38° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 51° |
| Year | 76° | 49° | 31.4" | 0.0" | 63 | 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 75°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Chico’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 Chico’s center.
- Snow: Orland, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chico Univ Farm, CA, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Chico’s climate
What is the weather like in Chico?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chico in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 40 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Chico get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Orland, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Chico?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 63°. About 99 days a year reach 90° and 25 reach 100° (Chico Univ Farm, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Chico?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 4 and the first fall frost by November 17, about 257 frost-free days, at Chico Univ Farm, CA.
What growing zone is Chico in?
Zone 9b 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 Chico?
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 Chico getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chico.
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.