Photo: Egaowakaii · CC BY 3.0Colfax’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Colfax at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Colfax’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Colfax’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Colfax feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 233 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Colfax, CA, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Colfax’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 snow a winter
Snow, measured at Colfax, CA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Colfax
72% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Colfax, CA.
Living with Colfax’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
233 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Colfax from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (67%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Colfax and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Colfax yet.
Climates most like Colfax’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colfax, CA | 35° | 91° | 48" | 7.2" |
| Stuttgart, AR | 33° | 91° | 50" | 3.3" |
| Five Forks, SC | 33° | 90° | 49" | 3.9" |
| Garner, NC | 31° | 90° | 49" | 4.5" |
| Portsmouth, VA | 33° | 89° | 48" | 6.2" |
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 Colfax averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Colfax compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Colfax’s place among California’s.
Colfax weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Colfax’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Colfax, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 35° | 8.4" | 0.9" | 11 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| February | 56° | 36° | 8.2" | 2.6" | 12 | 0 | 38° – 53° |
| March | 60° | 39° | 7.5" | 1.2" | 11 | 0 | 40° – 57° |
| April | 65° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 69° |
| June | 83° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 91° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 90° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 85° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| October | 74° | 47° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| November | 60° | 39° | 5.1" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 56° |
| December | 52° | 35° | 9.0" | 1.5" | 11 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| Year | 70° | 46° | 48.2" | 7.2" | 76 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 69°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Colfax’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 Colfax’s center.
- Snow: Colfax, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Colfax, CA, 0.3 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 Colfax’s climate
What is the weather like in Colfax?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Colfax in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 37 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Colfax get?
About 7.2 inches in a normal winter at Colfax, CA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Colfax?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 61°. About 66 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Colfax, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Colfax?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 24, about 233 frost-free days, at Colfax, CA.
What growing zone is Colfax in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Colfax?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Colfax getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Colfax.
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.