Paradise’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Paradise at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Paradise’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Paradise’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Paradise feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 313 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 7 and the first by December 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Paradise, CA, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Paradise’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. 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 57 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 78 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Paradise, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Paradise
64% 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 Paradise, CA.
Living with Paradise’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
313 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 7 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Paradise from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Paradise and its neighbors
Magalia has the coldest January nights next door (38°, 2° colder) and Butte Creek Canyon the hottest July afternoons (96°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Paradise’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise, CA | 40° | 93° | 57" | 0.1" |
| Jasper, TX | 39° | 93° | 57" | 0.1" |
| Marianna, FL | 40° | 92° | 55" | 0.0" |
| Natchitoches, LA | 38° | 93° | 57" | 0.6" |
| Vicksburg, MS | 37° | 92° | 57" | 0.1" |
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 Paradise averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Paradise compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Paradise’s place among California’s.
Paradise weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Paradise’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Paradise, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 40° | 10.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| February | 58° | 40° | 10.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| March | 62° | 42° | 8.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 60° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| May | 77° | 52° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 72° |
| June | 86° | 59° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| July | 93° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 92° | 64° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| September | 88° | 61° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| October | 76° | 53° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| November | 62° | 44° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| December | 54° | 39° | 11.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 56.8" | 0.1" | 78 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 55° to 72°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Paradise’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 Paradise’s center.
- Snow: Paradise, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Paradise, CA, 0.9 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 Paradise’s climate
What is the weather like in Paradise?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Paradise in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 7 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Paradise get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Paradise, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Paradise?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 64°. About 66 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Paradise, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Paradise?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 7 and the first fall frost by December 18, about 313 frost-free days, at Paradise, CA.
What growing zone is Paradise in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Paradise?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Paradise getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Paradise.
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.