Cottonwood reaches 100° on about 31 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 40° on average. Temperatures cover 60° across the year, low to high. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than almost every U.S. town. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about January 31, with the first autumn frost due around December 8.
A year in Cottonwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cottonwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cottonwood’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Cottonwood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 312 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 31 and the first by December 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bakersfield 5 Nw, CA, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cottonwood’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 27°. 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 8 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 38 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Bakersfield Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Cottonwood
49% 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 Bakersfield 5 Nw, CA.
Living with Cottonwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
312 frost-free days in zone 9b. 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 8.
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 Cottonwood from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cottonwood and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cottonwood yet.
Climates most like Cottonwood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood, CA | 40° | 99° | 8" | 0.1" |
| Drexel Heights, AZ | 39° | 100° | 11" | 0.1" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Eagle Pass, TX | 41° | 98° | 19" | 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 Cottonwood averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Cottonwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cottonwood’s place among California’s.
Cottonwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cottonwood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bakersfield Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 40° | 1.6" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| February | 66° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| March | 72° | 47° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| April | 78° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| May | 86° | 58° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 79° |
| June | 94° | 65° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| July | 99° | 70° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 81° – 89° |
| August | 98° | 69° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 79° – 87° |
| September | 93° | 64° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| October | 82° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| November | 69° | 45° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| December | 60° | 39° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| Year | 80° | 54° | 8.1" | 0.1" | 38 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 63° to 79°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Cottonwood’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 Cottonwood’s center.
- Snow: Bakersfield Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bakersfield 5 Nw, CA, 6 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 Cottonwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Cottonwood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 145 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cottonwood in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 17 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Cottonwood get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Bakersfield Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Cottonwood?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 70°. About 110 days a year reach 90° and 31 reach 100° (Bakersfield 5 Nw, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Cottonwood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 31 and the first fall frost by December 8, about 312 frost-free days, at Bakersfield 5 Nw, CA.
What growing zone is Cottonwood in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cottonwood?
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 Cottonwood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cottonwood.
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.