West Butte Schoolhouse · Photo: Rifflebox · CC BY-SA 4.0Meridian reaches 100° on about 13 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 38°. Only 58° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 90% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from December to January, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Meridian at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Meridian’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Meridian’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Meridian feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 293 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 14 and the first by December 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Colusa 2 Ssw, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Meridian’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 26°. 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 19 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 55 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Colusa 2 Ssw, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Meridian
66% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Colusa 2 Ssw, CA.
Living with Meridian’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
293 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 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 Dec 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October and November. 4.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Meridian from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (89%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Meridian and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Meridian yet.
Climates most like Meridian’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian, CA | 38° | 96° | 19" | 0.0" |
| Del Rio, TX | 40° | 98° | 19" | 0.2" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Medford, OR | 32° | 92° | 19" | 3.4" |
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 Meridian averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Meridian compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Meridian’s place among California’s.
Meridian weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Meridian’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Colusa 2 Ssw, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| February | 62° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| March | 68° | 44° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| April | 75° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| May | 83° | 54° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 76° |
| June | 91° | 59° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 96° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 95° | 60° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| September | 91° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| October | 80° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 66° | 43° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 38° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| Year | 77° | 50° | 19.1" | 0.0" | 55 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 60° to 76°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Meridian’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 Meridian’s center.
- Snow: Colusa 2 Ssw, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Colusa 2 Ssw, CA, 7 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 Meridian’s climate
What is the weather like in Meridian?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Meridian in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 17 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Meridian get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Colusa 2 Ssw, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Meridian?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 62°. About 85 days a year reach 90° and 13 reach 100° (Colusa 2 Ssw, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Meridian?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 14 and the first fall frost by December 1, about 293 frost-free days, at Colusa 2 Ssw, CA.
What growing zone is Meridian in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Meridian?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Meridian getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Meridian.
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.