Photo: formulanone · CC BY-SA 2.0Dos Palos reaches 100° on about 20 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 40°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than almost every U.S. town. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.8°, most of all in September. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about January 26, with the first autumn frost due around December 10.
A year in Dos Palos at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dos Palos’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dos Palos’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Dos Palos feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 322 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 26 and the first by December 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Los Banos, CA, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dos Palos’ 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 8 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 47 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Los Banos, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Dos Palos
57% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Los Banos, CA.
Living with Dos Palos’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
322 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Jan 26 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dos Palos from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dos Palos and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dos Palos yet.
Climates most like Dos Palos’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dos Palos, CA | 40° | 94° | 8" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Canutillo, TX | 32° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Finley, WA | 29° | 91° | 9" | 2.0" |
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 Dos Palos averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Dos Palos compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dos Palos’ place among California’s.
Dos Palos weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dos Palos’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Los Banos, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 40° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| February | 62° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| March | 68° | 46° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 82° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 75° |
| June | 89° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 94° | 65° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| August | 93° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| September | 89° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| October | 79° | 52° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 65° | 44° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| December | 56° | 39° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| Year | 76° | 51° | 8.4" | 0.0" | 47 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 61° to 75°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Dos Palos’ 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 Dos Palos’ center.
- Snow: Los Banos, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Los Banos, CA, 14 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 Dos Palos’ climate
What is the weather like in Dos Palos?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, 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 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dos Palos in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 16 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Dos Palos get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Los Banos, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Dos Palos?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 65°. About 97 days a year reach 90° and 20 reach 100° (Los Banos, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Dos Palos?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 26 and the first fall frost by December 10, about 322 frost-free days, at Los Banos, CA.
What growing zone is Dos Palos 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 Dos Palos?
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 Dos Palos getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dos Palos.
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.