Photo: Alden Jewell · Public domainFortuna’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Fortuna at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fortuna’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fortuna’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Fortuna feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Scotia, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fortuna’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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 55 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 112 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at Grizzly Creek Sp, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fortuna
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Scotia, CA.
Living with Fortuna’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. Frost comes about 8 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 2.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fortuna from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fortuna and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fortuna yet.
Climates most like Fortuna’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortuna, CA | 42° | 70° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Coos Bay, OR | 40° | 66° | 61" | 0.2" |
| Sudden Valley, WA | 34° | 73° | 53" | 3.4" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
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 Fortuna averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A bigger shift than in 57% 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 Fortuna compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fortuna’s place among California’s.
Fortuna weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fortuna’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grizzly Creek Sp, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 42° | 10.0" | 0.1" | 16 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| February | 56° | 42° | 8.5" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| March | 58° | 43° | 7.8" | 0.3" | 15 | 0 | 47° – 54° |
| April | 60° | 44° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| May | 64° | 48° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| June | 67° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| July | 70° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 65° |
| August | 72° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 65° |
| September | 72° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| October | 66° | 47° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 61° |
| November | 58° | 44° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 54° | 41° | 11.3" | 0.2" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| Year | 63° | 47° | 55.2" | 0.7" | 112 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 54°. August is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Fortuna’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 Fortuna’s center.
- Snow: Grizzly Creek Sp, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Scotia, CA, 7 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 Fortuna’s climate
What is the weather like in Fortuna?
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 83 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fortuna in winter?
December nights average 41°. About 6 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Fortuna get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Grizzly Creek Sp, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Fortuna?
July, with a typical high of 70° and a low of 53°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Scotia, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Fortuna?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 84% of winters at Scotia, CA, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Fortuna in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fortuna?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fortuna getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fortuna.
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.