Photo: Robert Campbell · CC BY-SA 3.0Fort Bragg sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 43°. Temperatures cover 22° across the year, low to high. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 91% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about March 2; in half of years the first frost comes by December 1.
A year in Fort Bragg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Bragg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Bragg’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Fort Bragg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 272 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 2 and the first by December 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Bragg’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 44 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 111 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Bragg
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Bragg 5 N, CA.
Living with Fort Bragg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
272 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 2 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August, September and October. 5.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Bragg from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (73%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Bragg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fort Bragg yet.
Climates most like Fort Bragg’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 Bragg, CA | 43° | 64° | 44" | 0.0" |
| Coos Bay, OR | 40° | 66° | 61" | 0.2" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Bragg averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Bragg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Bragg’s place among California’s.
Fort Bragg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Bragg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Bragg 5 N, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 43° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| February | 56° | 43° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| March | 57° | 44° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| April | 58° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| May | 60° | 48° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| June | 63° | 49° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 60° |
| July | 64° | 51° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 55° – 60° |
| August | 64° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| September | 64° | 50° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 61° |
| October | 63° | 48° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| November | 59° | 45° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| December | 55° | 42° | 8.8" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 46° – 53° |
| Year | 60° | 47° | 44.1" | 0.0" | 111 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. October swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 53° to 62°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Fort Bragg’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 Bragg’s center.
- Snow: Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, 5 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 Fort Bragg’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Bragg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 64°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 16 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Bragg in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Fort Bragg get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Fort Bragg?
July, with a typical high of 64°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Fort Bragg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 2 and the first fall frost by December 1, about 272 frost-free days, at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
What growing zone is Fort Bragg in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Bragg?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fort Bragg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Bragg.
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.