Summer afternoons in Paynes Creek are warmer than in 94% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 38°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 85% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Garden planting can start around February 22; autumn frost returns near November 29.
A year in Paynes Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Paynes Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Paynes Creek’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Paynes Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 281 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 22 and the first by November 29. Frost dates and degree days from Red Bluff Muni Airport, 22 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Paynes Creek’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 38 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 68 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Paynes Creek
57% 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 Red Bluff Muni Airport.
Living with Paynes Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
281 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 22 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 3.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Paynes Creek 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 →Paynes Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Paynes Creek yet.
Climates most like Paynes Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paynes Creek, CA | 38° | 94° | 38" | 0.0" |
| Woodway, TX | 37° | 95° | 38" | 0.0" |
| Dublin, GA | 37° | 93° | 47" | 0.0" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Durant, OK | 32° | 94° | 43" | 2.0" |
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 Paynes Creek averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 85% 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 Paynes Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Paynes Creek’s place among California’s.
Paynes Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Paynes Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 38° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| February | 57° | 39° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| March | 61° | 41° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| April | 67° | 44° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 72° |
| June | 86° | 59° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| July | 94° | 65° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 93° | 64° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| September | 88° | 59° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| November | 61° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 58° |
| December | 54° | 37° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| Year | 72° | 49° | 37.6" | 0.0" | 68 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 72°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Paynes Creek’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 Paynes Creek’s center.
- Snow: Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Red Bluff Muni Airport, 22 miles away.
- 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 Paynes Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Paynes Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Paynes Creek in winter?
December nights average 37°. About 19 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Paynes Creek get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Paynes Creek?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 65°. About 104 days a year reach 90° (Red Bluff Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Paynes Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 22 and the first fall frost by November 29, about 281 frost-free days, at Red Bluff Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Paynes Creek in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Paynes Creek?
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 Paynes Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Paynes Creek.
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.