McCloud · Photo: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0McCloud gets about 89 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 89 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in McCloud at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McCloud’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McCloud’s place in California beside it.
What a year in McCloud feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mccloud, CA, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts McCloud’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 89 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mt Shasta, CA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 101 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McCloud
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mccloud, CA.
Living with McCloud’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
123 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 28 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McCloud from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McCloud and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McCloud yet.
Climates most like McCloud’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCloud, CA | 27° | 88° | 46" | 89" |
| Poughkeepsie, NY | 18° | 86° | 44" | 58" |
| Glastonbury Center, CT | 20° | 85° | 46" | 52" |
| Canton, MA | 19° | 84° | 49" | 70" |
| Johnstown, PA | 19° | 83° | 47" | 74" |
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 McCloud averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 McCloud compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McCloud’s place among California’s.
McCloud weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McCloud’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mt Shasta, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 27° | 7.8" | 18.2" | 13 | 15 | 32° – 43° |
| February | 50° | 28° | 7.6" | 20.3" | 13 | 10 | 32° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 31° | 6.5" | 11.0" | 13 | 5 | 36° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 34° | 3.6" | 5.4" | 11 | 1 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 40° | 2.4" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 79° | 46° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| July | 88° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| August | 88° | 49° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 81° | 44° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| October | 68° | 36° | 2.3" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 53° | 31° | 5.2" | 7.8" | 11 | 3 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 27° | 8.8" | 26.1" | 14 | 13 | 33° – 41° |
| Year | 65° | 37° | 46.2" | 89.3" | 101 | 48 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 62°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where McCloud’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 McCloud’s center.
- Snow: Mt Shasta, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mccloud, CA, 0.2 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 McCloud’s climate
What is the weather like in McCloud?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 89 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McCloud in winter?
December nights average 27°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does McCloud get?
About 89 inches in a normal winter at Mt Shasta, CA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 48 days a year.
How hot does it get in McCloud?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 51°. About 48 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Mccloud, CA).
When is the first and last frost in McCloud?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 28 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 123 frost-free days, at Mccloud, CA.
What growing zone is McCloud in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit McCloud?
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 McCloud getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McCloud.
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.