Hornitos Masonic Hall No. 98 · Photo: Covert Martin Collection, Stockton, CA · Public domainHornitos has some of the warmest summer afternoons among U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 37°. The wettest month is January; the driest is July. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 89% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs December to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Hornitos at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hornitos’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hornitos’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Hornitos feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 263 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 3 and the first by November 24. Frost and day counts come from Merced, CA, 21 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hornitos’ center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. 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 21 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 58 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Exchequer Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Hornitos
65% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Merced, CA.
Living with Hornitos’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
263 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hornitos from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hornitos and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hornitos yet.
Climates most like Hornitos’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornitos, CA | 37° | 96° | 21" | 0.0" |
| Pearsall, TX | 41° | 97° | 24" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
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 Hornitos averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Hornitos compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hornitos’ place among California’s.
Hornitos weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hornitos’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Exchequer Dam, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 37° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| February | 60° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| March | 65° | 42° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| May | 80° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 73° |
| June | 89° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| July | 96° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 95° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| September | 89° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| October | 78° | 49° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| November | 65° | 41° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| December | 55° | 36° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| Year | 75° | 48° | 20.8" | 0.0" | 58 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 73°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hornitos’ 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 Hornitos’ center.
- Snow: Exchequer Dam, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Merced, CA, 21 miles from the town’s center, 720 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 Hornitos’ climate
What is the weather like in Hornitos?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hornitos in winter?
December nights average 36°. About 24 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Hornitos get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Exchequer Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Hornitos?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 62°. About 106 days a year reach 90° and 25 reach 100° (Merced, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Hornitos?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 3 and the first fall frost by November 24, about 263 frost-free days, at Merced, CA.
What growing zone is Hornitos in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hornitos?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hornitos getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hornitos.
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.