Madeline gets about 82 inches of snow a winter, more than 95% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 85°. The wettest month is December; the driest is August. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 93% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about June 14; in half of years the first frost comes by September 18.
A year in Madeline at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Madeline’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Madeline’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Madeline feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 94 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 14 and the first by September 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jess Valley, CA, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Madeline’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 82 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jess Valley, CA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 79 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Madeline
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 Jess Valley, CA.
Living with Madeline’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
94 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 14 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Madeline from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Madeline and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Madeline yet.
Climates most like Madeline’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madeline, CA | 21° | 85° | 15" | 82" |
| Livingston, MT | 17° | 85° | 14" | 63" |
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
| Lone Tree, CO | 19° | 87° | 16" | 64" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Madeline averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
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 Madeline compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Madeline’s place among California’s.
Madeline weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Madeline’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jess Valley, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 21° | 1.8" | 12.5" | 9 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 44° | 22° | 1.5" | 8.7" | 9 | 25° – 41° |
| March | 49° | 26° | 1.6" | 14.5" | 10 | 31° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 1.7" | 14.4" | 10 | 37° – 47° |
| May | 64° | 36° | 2.0" | 4.2" | 8 | 43° – 57° |
| June | 74° | 42° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 5 | 53° – 65° |
| July | 85° | 48° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 59° – 71° |
| August | 84° | 46° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 76° | 40° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 3 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 63° | 32° | 0.9" | 2.9" | 5 | 43° – 52° |
| November | 49° | 25° | 1.5" | 8.1" | 8 | 27° – 42° |
| December | 40° | 20° | 2.0" | 16.2" | 9 | 24° – 33° |
| Year | 60° | 32° | 14.7" | 82.0" | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Madeline’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 Madeline’s center.
- Snow: Jess Valley, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jess Valley, CA, 18 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 Madeline’s climate
What is the weather like in Madeline?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 82 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 56% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Madeline in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 195 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Madeline get?
About 82 inches in a normal winter at Jess Valley, CA, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Madeline?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 48°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Jess Valley, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Madeline?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 14 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 94 frost-free days, at Jess Valley, CA.
What growing zone is Madeline in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Madeline?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Madeline 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 Madeline.
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.