Elk Creek reaches 100° on about 26 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 36° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 89% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from December to February, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Elk Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elk Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elk Creek’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Elk Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 220 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stony Gorge Reservoir, CA, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elk Creek’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 21 inches of rain a year
January 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 Stony Gorge Reservoir, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Elk Creek
70% 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 Stony Gorge Reservoir, CA.
Living with Elk Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
220 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 5 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elk Creek from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elk Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elk Creek yet.
Climates most like Elk Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Creek, CA | 36° | 96° | 21" | 0.0" |
| Pearsall, TX | 41° | 97° | 24" | 0.0" |
| Vail, AZ | 36° | 97° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
| Altus, OK | 28° | 97° | 28" | 2.8" |
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 Elk Creek averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 73% 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 Elk Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elk Creek’s place among California’s.
Elk Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elk Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stony Gorge Reservoir, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 36° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| February | 60° | 38° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| March | 65° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 44° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| May | 80° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 72° |
| June | 89° | 57° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| July | 96° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 95° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| September | 90° | 56° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| October | 79° | 48° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| November | 64° | 41° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 35° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| Year | 75° | 47° | 21.4" | 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 55° to 72°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Elk Creek’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 Elk Creek’s center.
- Snow: Stony Gorge Reservoir, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stony Gorge Reservoir, CA, 0.9 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 Elk Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Elk Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elk Creek in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Elk Creek get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Stony Gorge Reservoir, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Elk Creek?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 63°. About 97 days a year reach 90° and 26 reach 100° (Stony Gorge Reservoir, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Elk Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 220 frost-free days, at Stony Gorge Reservoir, CA.
What growing zone is Elk Creek in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elk Creek?
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 Elk Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elk Creek.
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.