Chilcoot-Vinton is drier than 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches of precipitation a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 22°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 63% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Tender plants can go out after about June 11; in half of years the first frost comes by September 10.
A year in Chilcoot-Vinton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chilcoot-Vinton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chilcoot-Vinton’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Chilcoot-Vinton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 91 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 11 and the first by September 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Portola, CA, 18 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chilcoot-Vinton’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Vinton, CA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 68 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chilcoot-Vinton
98% 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 Portola, CA.
Living with Chilcoot-Vinton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
91 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Jun 11 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chilcoot-Vinton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chilcoot-Vinton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Chilcoot-Vinton yet.
Climates most like Chilcoot-Vinton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilcoot-Vinton, CA | 22° | 87° | 15" | 38" |
| Dakota Ridge, CO | 19° | 87° | 18" | 34" |
| Suncrest, WA | 23° | 87° | 16" | 48" |
| 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 Chilcoot-Vinton averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
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.
How Chilcoot-Vinton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chilcoot-Vinton’s place among California’s.
Chilcoot-Vinton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chilcoot-Vinton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Vinton, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 22° | 2.7" | 8.2" | 8 | 8 | 23° – 41° |
| February | 47° | 24° | 2.1" | 7.6" | 8 | 5 | 29° – 43° |
| March | 53° | 28° | 2.1" | 6.9" | 9 | 3 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 1.1" | 2.8" | 6 | 1 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.3" | 6 | 0 | 46° – 61° |
| June | 78° | 44° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 87° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 86° | 49° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 78° | 43° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 66° | 34° | 0.9" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 52° | 27° | 1.4" | 2.9" | 7 | 2 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 42° | 22° | 2.6" | 8.5" | 9 | 7 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 63° | 34° | 15.4" | 37.5" | 68 | 25 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Chilcoot-Vinton’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 Chilcoot-Vinton’s center.
- Snow: Vinton, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Portola, CA, 18 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft lower; 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 Chilcoot-Vinton’s climate
What is the weather like in Chilcoot-Vinton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 50% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chilcoot-Vinton in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 205 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Chilcoot-Vinton get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Vinton, CA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 25 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chilcoot-Vinton?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 51°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Portola, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Chilcoot-Vinton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 11 and the first fall frost by September 10, about 91 frost-free days, at Portola, CA.
What growing zone is Chilcoot-Vinton in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chilcoot-Vinton?
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 Chilcoot-Vinton 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 Chilcoot-Vinton.
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.