Photo: David Eppstein · CC BY-SA 4.0Comptche sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
In January the night’s low is typically 39°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 87% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.8° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 2, with the first autumn frost due around December 1.
A year in Comptche at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Comptche’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Comptche’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Comptche feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 272 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 2 and the first by December 1. Frost and day counts come from Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, 19 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Comptche’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 40 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Comptche
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
Living with Comptche’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
272 frost-free days in zone 10a. The last frost comes by Mar 2 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Comptche from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Comptche and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Comptche yet.
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 Comptche averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Comptche compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Comptche’s place among California’s.
Comptche weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Comptche’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 39° | 7.4" | 44° – 52° |
| February | 59° | 40° | 6.7" | 44° – 55° |
| March | 61° | 40° | 6.2" | 46° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 3.0" | 49° – 56° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 1.2" | 52° – 61° |
| June | 74° | 48° | 0.4" | 58° – 66° |
| July | 79° | 51° | 0.0" | 62° – 67° |
| August | 79° | 51° | 0.1" | 63° – 69° |
| September | 78° | 49° | 0.3" | 60° – 67° |
| October | 72° | 45° | 2.1" | 55° – 65° |
| November | 62° | 41° | 4.4" | 45° – 55° |
| December | 56° | 38° | 7.9" | 44° – 51° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 39.6" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Comptche’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 Comptche’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Comptche’s climate
What is the weather like in Comptche?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 39°. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Comptche in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How hot does it get in Comptche?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Comptche?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 2 and the first fall frost by December 1, about 272 frost-free days, at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
What growing zone is Comptche in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Comptche?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Comptche getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Comptche.
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.