Photo: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0Orick has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 39°. Its yearly precipitation tops that of almost every U.S. town. The latest 30-year average runs 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Tender plants can go out after about April 12; in half of years the first frost comes by November 6.
A year in Orick at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orick’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orick’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Orick feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 209 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Orick Prairie Creek Park, CA, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orick’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 64 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 128 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Klamath, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Orick
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Orick Prairie Creek Park, CA.
Living with Orick’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
209 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Apr 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August, September and October. 7.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orick from natural hazards, tsunamis are the largest share (53%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orick and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Orick yet.
Climates most like Orick’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orick, CA | 39° | 68° | 64" | 0.0" |
| Florence, OR | 40° | 66° | 73" | 0.6" |
| Aberdeen, WA | 37° | 68° | 80" | 0.5" |
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Orick averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 Orick compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orick’s place among California’s.
Orick weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orick’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Klamath, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 39° | 10.7" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| February | 55° | 40° | 8.6" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| March | 56° | 41° | 8.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 45° – 52° |
| April | 59° | 42° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| May | 62° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 56° |
| June | 65° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| July | 68° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| August | 69° | 52° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| September | 68° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 62° |
| October | 64° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| November | 57° | 42° | 8.0" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| December | 53° | 39° | 12.9" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| Year | 61° | 45° | 64.4" | 0.0" | 128 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 43° to 53°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Orick’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 Orick’s center.
- Snow: Klamath, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Orick Prairie Creek Park, CA, 6 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 Orick’s climate
What is the weather like in Orick?
A typical July afternoon reaches 68°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 66 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orick in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 44 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Orick get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Klamath, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Orick?
July, with a typical high of 68°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Orick Prairie Creek Park, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Orick?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 209 frost-free days, at Orick Prairie Creek Park, CA.
What growing zone is Orick in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Orick?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Orick getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Orick.
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.