Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Fort Bidwell: 11 inches a year
January nights here settle around 22°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 66% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.7° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Fort Bidwell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Bidwell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Bidwell’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Fort Bidwell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 26 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Bidwell, CA, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Bidwell’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 56 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ft Bidwell, CA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Bidwell
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ft Bidwell, CA.
Living with Fort Bidwell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 2.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Bidwell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Bidwell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fort Bidwell yet.
Climates most like Fort Bidwell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Bidwell, CA | 22° | 88° | 11" | 56" |
| Sherrelwood, CO | 20° | 89° | 15" | 55" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| Suncrest, WA | 23° | 87° | 16" | 48" |
| Orchard Homes, MT | 18° | 86° | 13" | 43" |
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 Fort Bidwell averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Fort Bidwell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Bidwell’s place among California’s.
Fort Bidwell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Bidwell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Bidwell, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 22° | 1.4" | 15.1" | 11 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 23° | 1.0" | 11.0" | 10 | 28° – 42° |
| March | 52° | 28° | 1.2" | 6.2" | 11 | 33° – 47° |
| April | 59° | 31° | 1.2" | 3.2" | 10 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 38° | 1.4" | 0.5" | 8 | 46° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 44° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 56° – 69° |
| July | 88° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 60° – 73° |
| August | 87° | 48° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 78° | 41° | 0.4" | 0.2" | 2 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 65° | 33° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 4 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 26° | 1.2" | 6.5" | 9 | 28° – 44° |
| December | 41° | 21° | 1.5" | 12.9" | 12 | 26° – 35° |
| Year | 63° | 34° | 11.1" | 55.9" | 85 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Fort Bidwell’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 Fort Bidwell’s center.
- Snow: Ft Bidwell, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Bidwell, CA, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Fort Bidwell’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Bidwell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Bidwell in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Fort Bidwell get?
About 56 inches in a normal winter at Ft Bidwell, CA, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Fort Bidwell?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 51°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Ft Bidwell, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Bidwell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 26 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 127 frost-free days, at Ft Bidwell, CA.
What growing zone is Fort Bidwell in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Bidwell?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fort Bidwell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Bidwell.
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.