Dales reaches 100° on about 35 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 38°. December is the wettest month, July the driest. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 85% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around February 22; autumn frost returns near November 29.
A year in Dales at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dales’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dales’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Dales feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 281 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 22 and the first by November 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Red Bluff Muni Airport, 16 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dales’ center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 26°. 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 37 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 68 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Dales
57% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Red Bluff Muni Airport.
Living with Dales’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
281 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 22 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dales from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dales and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dales yet.
Climates most like Dales’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dales, CA | 38° | 98° | 37" | 0.0" |
| Hornsby Bend, TX | 39° | 96° | 36" | 0.2" |
| Lawton, OK | 29° | 96° | 32" | 1.8" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Dublin, GA | 37° | 93° | 47" | 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 Dales averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Dales compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dales’ place among California’s.
Dales weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dales’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 38° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| February | 60° | 41° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| March | 65° | 43° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 47° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| May | 81° | 54° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 76° |
| June | 90° | 61° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 69° – 82° |
| July | 98° | 66° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| August | 96° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 91° | 59° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 79° | 51° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| November | 64° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 38° | 6.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| Year | 76° | 50° | 36.9" | 0.0" | 68 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 76°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Dales’ 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 Dales’ center.
- Snow: Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Red Bluff Muni Airport, 16 miles from the town’s center, 360 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 Dales’ climate
What is the weather like in Dales?
A typical July afternoon reaches 98°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dales in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 19 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Dales get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Dales?
July, with a typical high of 98° and a low of 66°. About 104 days a year reach 90° and 35 reach 100° (Red Bluff Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Dales?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 22 and the first fall frost by November 29, about 281 frost-free days, at Red Bluff Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Dales in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dales?
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 Dales getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dales.
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.