Photo: . . from Sacramento, California · CC BY 2.0Elmira reaches 100° on about 22 days a year, more than 96% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 39°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 89% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. For walks and days out, the stretch from March to May and October to November brings highs of 66–80°.
A year in Elmira at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elmira’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elmira’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Elmira feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 283 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 18 and the first by November 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Vacaville Nut Tree Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elmira’s 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 21 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 59 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Fairfield, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Elmira
64% 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 Vacaville Nut Tree Airport.
Living with Elmira’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
283 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 18 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elmira from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (56%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elmira and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Elmira in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Elmira’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmira, CA | 39° | 92° | 21" | 0.0" |
| Brady, TX | 35° | 95° | 27" | 0.3" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Hobbs, NM | 28° | 94° | 14" | 1.8" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Elmira averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.0°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Elmira compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elmira’s place among California’s.
Elmira weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elmira’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fairfield, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 39° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| February | 62° | 42° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 45° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| May | 80° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 88° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 92° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| August | 92° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| September | 88° | 56° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| October | 79° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 66° | 44° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| December | 57° | 39° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| Year | 75° | 49° | 21.2" | 0.0" | 59 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 59° to 73°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Elmira’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 Elmira’s center.
- Snow: Fairfield, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Vacaville Nut Tree Airport, 3 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 Elmira’s climate
What is the weather like in Elmira?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elmira in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 21 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Elmira get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Fairfield, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Elmira?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 58°. About 88 days a year reach 90° and 22 reach 100° (Vacaville Nut Tree Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Elmira?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 18 and the first fall frost by November 28, about 283 frost-free days, at Vacaville Nut Tree Airport.
What growing zone is Elmira 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 Elmira?
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 Elmira getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elmira.
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.