Hayfork’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Hayfork at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hayfork’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hayfork’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Hayfork feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from Weaverville, CA, 15 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hayfork’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Weaverville, CA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 105 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hayfork
85% 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 Weaverville, CA.
Living with Hayfork’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and October. 64 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hayfork from natural hazards, river flooding 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 →Hayfork and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hayfork yet.
Climates most like Hayfork’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayfork, CA | 32° | 93° | 41" | 8.7" |
| Ada, OK | 29° | 94° | 42" | 4.1" |
| McKinney, TX | 34° | 94° | 41" | 2.6" |
| Chester, SC | 32° | 91° | 44" | 2.9" |
| Monroe, NC | 31° | 91° | 43" | 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 Hayfork averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Hayfork compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hayfork’s place among California’s.
Hayfork weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hayfork’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Weaverville, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 32° | 7.9" | 2.2" | 16 | 2 | 36° – 46° |
| February | 54° | 33° | 6.5" | 1.3" | 14 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| March | 59° | 35° | 5.5" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| April | 65° | 38° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 75° | 43° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 66° |
| June | 84° | 49° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| July | 93° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| August | 93° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| September | 87° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| October | 73° | 41° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| November | 56° | 36° | 4.7" | 0.8" | 13 | 1 | 38° – 52° |
| December | 47° | 32° | 8.2" | 4.0" | 17 | 3 | 37° – 44° |
| Year | 69° | 41° | 41.0" | 8.7" | 105 | 6 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hayfork’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 Hayfork’s center.
- Snow: Weaverville, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Weaverville, CA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 910 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Hayfork’s climate
What is the weather like in Hayfork?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hayfork in winter?
December nights average 32°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Hayfork get?
About 8.7 inches in a normal winter at Weaverville, CA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 6 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hayfork?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 55°. About 85 days a year reach 90° and 22 reach 100° (Weaverville, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Hayfork?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 159 frost-free days, at Weaverville, CA.
What growing zone is Hayfork in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hayfork?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hayfork getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hayfork.
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.