Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domainLoyalton is drier than 91% of U.S. towns: 17 inches of precipitation a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 22° on average. Its July heat outdoes that of 64% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Plan time outside for June and September, when highs sit at 79–80°.
A year in Loyalton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Loyalton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Loyalton’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Loyalton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 91 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 11 and the first by September 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Portola, CA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Loyalton’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Vinton, CA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 68 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Loyalton
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Portola, CA.
Living with Loyalton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
91 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 11 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Loyalton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Loyalton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Loyalton yet.
Climates most like Loyalton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyalton, CA | 22° | 87° | 17" | 38" |
| Dakota Ridge, CO | 19° | 87° | 18" | 34" |
| Suncrest, WA | 23° | 87° | 16" | 48" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Orchard Homes, MT | 18° | 86° | 13" | 43" |
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 Loyalton averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller 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 Loyalton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Loyalton’s place among California’s.
Loyalton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Loyalton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Vinton, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 22° | 2.9" | 8.2" | 8 | 8 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 48° | 24° | 2.7" | 7.6" | 8 | 5 | 29° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 28° | 2.4" | 6.9" | 9 | 3 | 33° – 46° |
| April | 60° | 31° | 1.2" | 2.8" | 6 | 1 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 37° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| June | 79° | 43° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 87° | 48° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| August | 86° | 47° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 80° | 41° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 67° | 33° | 1.0" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| November | 53° | 26° | 1.6" | 2.9" | 7 | 2 | 30° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 21° | 3.0" | 8.5" | 9 | 7 | 27° – 36° |
| Year | 64° | 33° | 17.2" | 37.5" | 68 | 25 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 46°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Loyalton’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 Loyalton’s center.
- Snow: Vinton, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Portola, CA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Loyalton’s climate
What is the weather like in Loyalton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Loyalton in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 205 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Loyalton get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Vinton, CA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 25 days a year.
How hot does it get in Loyalton?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 48°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Portola, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Loyalton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 11 and the first fall frost by September 10, about 91 frost-free days, at Portola, CA.
What growing zone is Loyalton in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Loyalton?
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 Loyalton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Loyalton.
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.