Photo: Public domain · Public domainPatterson reaches 100° on about 18 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 39°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 97% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from February to May and October to November, with highs of 63–81°.
A year in Patterson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Patterson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Patterson’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Patterson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 312 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 31 and the first by December 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Modesto City Co Airport, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Patterson’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 11 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 57 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Turlock #2, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Patterson
59% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Modesto City Co Airport.
Living with Patterson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
312 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 31 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October and November. 3.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Patterson from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Patterson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Patterson yet.
Climates most like Patterson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patterson, CA | 39° | 94° | 11" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Fort Stockton, TX | 33° | 96° | 13" | 1.4" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Ashland, OR | 31° | 91° | 19" | 0.5" |
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 Patterson averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Patterson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Patterson’s place among California’s.
Patterson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Patterson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Turlock #2, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 39° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| February | 63° | 42° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 56° |
| March | 68° | 45° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| May | 81° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 89° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| July | 94° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 93° | 60° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 89° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 76° |
| October | 79° | 51° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 67° | 43° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 57° | 39° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| Year | 76° | 50° | 10.8" | 0.0" | 57 | 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 73°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Patterson’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 Patterson’s center.
- Snow: Turlock #2, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Modesto City Co Airport, 15 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 Patterson’s climate
What is the weather like in Patterson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, 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 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Patterson in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Patterson get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Turlock #2, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Patterson?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 61°. About 90 days a year reach 90° and 18 reach 100° (Modesto City Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Patterson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 31 and the first fall frost by December 5, about 312 frost-free days, at Modesto City Co Airport.
What growing zone is Patterson 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 Patterson?
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 Patterson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Patterson.
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.