Palo Cedro reaches 100° on about 41 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 39°. December is the wettest month here, with about 125 times the rain of July. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 87% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about March 3; in half of years the first frost comes by November 21.
A year in Palo Cedro at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Palo Cedro’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Palo Cedro’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Palo Cedro feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 261 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 3 and the first by November 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Redding Muni Airport, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Palo Cedro’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 33 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 59 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at Redding Cdf, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Palo Cedro
56% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Redding Muni Airport.
Living with Palo Cedro’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
261 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 3 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Palo Cedro from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Palo Cedro and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Palo Cedro in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Palo Cedro’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Cedro, CA | 39° | 99° | 33" | 0.7" |
| Austin, TX | 38° | 96° | 36" | 0.2" |
| Lawton, OK | 29° | 96° | 32" | 1.8" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Sedona, AZ | 30° | 97° | 17" | 1.0" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Palo Cedro averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Palo Cedro compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Palo Cedro’s place among California’s.
Palo Cedro weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Palo Cedro’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Redding Cdf, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 39° | 6.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| February | 61° | 41° | 5.8" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| March | 65° | 43° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| April | 72° | 47° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| May | 82° | 54° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 76° |
| June | 91° | 62° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 84° |
| July | 99° | 67° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| August | 97° | 65° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| September | 92° | 60° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 79° | 52° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| November | 64° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| December | 55° | 38° | 6.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 50° |
| Year | 76° | 51° | 33.3" | 0.7" | 59 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 76°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Palo Cedro’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 Palo Cedro’s center.
- Snow: Redding Cdf, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Redding Muni Airport, 4 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 Palo Cedro’s climate
What is the weather like in Palo Cedro?
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 162 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Palo Cedro in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 27 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Palo Cedro get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Redding Cdf, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Palo Cedro?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 67°. About 106 days a year reach 90° and 41 reach 100° (Redding Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Palo Cedro?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 3 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 261 frost-free days, at Redding Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Palo Cedro in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Palo Cedro?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Palo Cedro getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Palo Cedro.
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.