Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domainLess rain and snow falls on Etna than on 88% of U.S. towns: 24 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 90°. Its July heat outdoes that of 79% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Garden planting can start around May 20; autumn frost returns near October 5.
A year in Etna at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Etna’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Etna’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Etna feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Callahan, CA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Etna’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Callahan, CA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Etna
92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Callahan, CA.
Living with Etna’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by May 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 7.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Etna from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Etna and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Etna yet.
Climates most like Etna’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etna, CA | 29° | 90° | 24" | 4.4" |
| Milton-Freewater, OR | 30° | 90° | 17" | 7.2" |
| Slaton, TX | 29° | 93° | 20" | 5.0" |
| Walla Walla, WA | 30° | 91° | 16" | 9.0" |
| Prescott, AZ | 26° | 90° | 15" | 10" |
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 Etna averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Etna compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Etna’s place among California’s.
Etna weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Etna’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Callahan, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 29° | 4.4" | 0.4" | 13 | 0 | 32° – 43° |
| February | 50° | 30° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 33° – 46° |
| March | 56° | 32° | 2.7" | 1.1" | 13 | 0 | 37° – 50° |
| April | 62° | 35° | 1.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 41° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| June | 81° | 47° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| July | 90° | 54° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 90° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 83° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 69° | 39° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 2.8" | 1.1" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 28° | 4.4" | 1.5" | 13 | 0 | 33° – 40° |
| Year | 66° | 39° | 23.9" | 4.4" | 96 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 64°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Etna’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 Etna’s center.
- Snow: Callahan, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Callahan, CA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher; 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 Etna’s climate
What is the weather like in Etna?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Etna in winter?
December nights average 28°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Etna get?
About 4.4 inches in a normal winter at Callahan, CA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Etna?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 54°. About 33 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Callahan, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Etna?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 135 frost-free days, at Callahan, CA.
What growing zone is Etna in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Etna?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Etna getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Etna.
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.