Photo: Barabas · CC BY-SA 2.0Little River sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
In January the night’s low is typically 42°. The year changes little: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are only 25° apart. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 91% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around March 2; autumn frost returns near December 1.
A year in Little River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Little River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Little River’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Little River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 272 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 2 and the first by December 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, 17 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Little River’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 44 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 111 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Little River
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from November through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
Living with Little River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
272 frost-free days in zone 10a. The last frost comes by Mar 2 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August, September and October. 5.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Little River from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (57%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Little River and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Little River yet.
Climates most like Little River’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little River, CA | 42° | 66° | 44" | 0.0" |
| Coos Bay, OR | 40° | 66° | 61" | 0.2" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Little River averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 Little River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Little River’s place among California’s.
Little River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Little River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Bragg 5 N, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 42° | 7.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 45° – 52° |
| February | 56° | 43° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| March | 57° | 43° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| April | 58° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| May | 61° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| June | 64° | 49° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 60° |
| July | 66° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 61° |
| August | 66° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| September | 66° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| October | 64° | 48° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 60° | 45° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| December | 55° | 42° | 8.8" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 46° – 53° |
| Year | 61° | 46° | 43.7" | 0.0" | 111 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Little River’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 Little River’s center.
- Snow: Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, 17 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 Little River’s climate
What is the weather like in Little River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, 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 38 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Little River in winter?
December nights average 42°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Little River get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Little River?
July, with a typical high of 66°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Little River?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 2 and the first fall frost by December 1, about 272 frost-free days, at Ft Bragg 5 N, CA.
What growing zone is Little River in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Little River?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Little River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Little River.
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.