Phelan’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 37°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Phelan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Phelan’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Phelan’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Phelan feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 233 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from Victorville, CA, 15 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Phelan’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pearblossom, CA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 23 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Phelan
62% 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 Victorville, CA.
Living with Phelan’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
233 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 18 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 94 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Phelan from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Phelan and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Phelan in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Phelan’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phelan, CA | 37° | 92° | 8" | 1.0" |
| Benson, AZ | 34° | 94° | 14" | 1.2" |
| Santa Teresa, NM | 33° | 95° | 9" | 2.0" |
| Finley, WA | 29° | 91° | 9" | 2.0" |
| Umatilla, OR | 29° | 91° | 9" | 3.7" |
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 Phelan averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Phelan compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Phelan’s place among California’s.
Phelan weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Phelan’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pearblossom, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 37° | 1.7" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| February | 58° | 38° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| March | 63° | 40° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| April | 69° | 44° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 50° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| June | 87° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| July | 92° | 65° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| August | 92° | 64° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| September | 86° | 60° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 41° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| December | 55° | 35° | 1.3" | 0.6" | 4 | 0 | 41° – 48° |
| Year | 73° | 48° | 7.5" | 1.0" | 23 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 70°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Phelan’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 Phelan’s center.
- Snow: Pearblossom, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Victorville, CA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 960 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Phelan’s climate
What is the weather like in Phelan?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 37°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Phelan in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 54 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Phelan get?
About 1.0 inches in a normal winter at Pearblossom, CA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Phelan?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 65°. About 119 days a year reach 90° and 42 reach 100° (Victorville, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Phelan?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 233 frost-free days, at Victorville, CA.
What growing zone is Phelan in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Phelan?
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 Phelan getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Phelan.
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.