Photo: Ian McKellar from Alameda, CA, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Kirkwood
Deep winter brings January lows near 23°. Precipitation peaks in December and eases off in July. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 77% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to September brings highs of 64–72°.
A year in Kirkwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kirkwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kirkwood’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Kirkwood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 113 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 7 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from Dagget Pass, NV, 22 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kirkwood’s center in zone 6b: 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°
About 48 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Kirkwood
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Dagget Pass, NV.
Living with Kirkwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
113 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 7 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 19 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kirkwood from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kirkwood and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Kirkwood yet.
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 Kirkwood averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Kirkwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kirkwood’s place among California’s.
Kirkwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kirkwood’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 23° | 8.3" | 25° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 21° | 7.7" | 23° – 39° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 7.2" | 26° – 40° |
| April | 47° | 26° | 4.2" | 31° – 43° |
| May | 54° | 33° | 2.7" | 35° – 52° |
| June | 64° | 41° | 0.9" | 47° – 58° |
| July | 72° | 48° | 0.3" | 55° – 64° |
| August | 71° | 48° | 0.3" | 55° – 63° |
| September | 66° | 43° | 0.8" | 51° – 59° |
| October | 56° | 35° | 2.7" | 41° – 52° |
| November | 46° | 27° | 4.8" | 26° – 43° |
| December | 39° | 22° | 8.4" | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 48.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 43°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Kirkwood’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 Kirkwood’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dagget Pass, NV, 22 miles from the town’s center, 620 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 Kirkwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Kirkwood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 23°. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 116 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kirkwood in winter?
February nights average 21°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How hot does it get in Kirkwood?
July, with a typical high of 72°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Dagget Pass, NV.
When is the first and last frost in Kirkwood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 7 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 113 frost-free days, at Dagget Pass, NV.
What growing zone is Kirkwood in?
Zone 6b 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 Kirkwood?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Kirkwood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kirkwood.
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.