Park Headquarters, Lassen Volcanic National Park · Photo: National Park Service inventory · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Mineral: 69 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 77°. December is the wettest month here, with about 55 times the rain of July. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around June 9; autumn frost returns near September 21.
A year in Mineral at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mineral’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mineral’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Mineral feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 102 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 9 and the first by September 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Manzanita Lake, CA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mineral’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 69 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Mineral
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Manzanita Lake, CA.
Living with Mineral’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
102 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Jun 9 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July, August and September. 42 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mineral from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mineral and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mineral yet.
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 Mineral averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Mineral compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mineral’s place among California’s.
Mineral weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mineral’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 23° | 10.9" | 26° – 39° |
| February | 42° | 22° | 10.1" | 24° – 39° |
| March | 45° | 24° | 10.3" | 26° – 41° |
| April | 49° | 27° | 6.4" | 31° – 42° |
| May | 58° | 34° | 4.3" | 37° – 54° |
| June | 68° | 40° | 1.6" | 48° – 60° |
| July | 77° | 46° | 0.2" | 56° – 64° |
| August | 76° | 44° | 0.3" | 56° – 65° |
| September | 71° | 41° | 0.7" | 52° – 60° |
| October | 58° | 34° | 3.9" | 42° – 53° |
| November | 47° | 27° | 7.4" | 27° – 43° |
| December | 41° | 22° | 12.7" | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 56° | 32° | 68.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Mineral’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 Mineral’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Manzanita Lake, CA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Mineral’s climate
What is the weather like in Mineral?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 23°. Milder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mineral in winter?
February nights average 22°. About 195 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How hot does it get in Mineral?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 46°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Manzanita Lake, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Mineral?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 9 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 102 frost-free days, at Manzanita Lake, CA.
What growing zone is Mineral in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mineral?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mineral getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mineral.
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.