Precipitation in Hat Creek trails that of 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 25°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 74% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in January. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Hat Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hat Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hat Creek’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Hat Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 102 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 3 and the first by September 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Burney, CA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hat Creek’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Burney, CA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hat Creek
96% 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 Burney, CA.
Living with Hat Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
102 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Jun 3 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hat Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hat Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hat Creek yet.
Climates most like Hat Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hat Creek, CA | 25° | 89° | 16" | 45" |
| Suncrest, WA | 23° | 87° | 16" | 48" |
| Kearns, UT | 23° | 91° | 16" | 56" |
| Four Square Mile, CO | 19° | 89° | 16" | 49" |
| Chubbuck, ID | 17° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
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 Hat Creek averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Hat Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hat Creek’s place among California’s.
Hat Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hat Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Burney, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 25° | 2.4" | 8.9" | 10 | 28° – 42° |
| February | 50° | 26° | 1.9" | 9.5" | 12 | 31° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 30° | 2.2" | 6.9" | 13 | 35° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 33° | 1.5" | 2.0" | 10 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 71° | 40° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 46° – 62° |
| June | 80° | 46° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 57° – 70° |
| July | 89° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 64° – 74° |
| August | 88° | 48° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 82° | 43° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 69° | 35° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 54° | 29° | 1.8" | 5.7" | 9 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 25° | 2.8" | 11.3" | 12 | 31° – 38° |
| Year | 66° | 36° | 16.4" | 44.5" | 89 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 62°. December is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Hat Creek’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 Hat Creek’s center.
- Snow: Burney, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Burney, CA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower; 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 Hat Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Hat Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hat Creek in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 178 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 31°.
How much snow does Hat Creek get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Burney, CA, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Hat Creek?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 51°. About 49 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Burney, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Hat Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 3 and the first fall frost by September 14, about 102 frost-free days, at Burney, CA.
What growing zone is Hat Creek in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hat Creek?
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 Hat Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hat Creek.
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.