Photo: Missvain · CC BY 4.0Philo has milder winter nights than 86% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 84°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 69% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Garden chairs stay out from March to July and September to November, the months with highs of 63–84°.
A year in Philo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Philo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Philo’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Philo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ukiah 4 Wsw, CA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Living with Philo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, June, July, September, October and November. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Philo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Philo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Philo yet.
Climates most like Philo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philo, CA | 39° | 84° | 38" | 2.5" |
| Sutherlin, OR | 36° | 85° | 41" | 0.6" |
| Lake Shore, WA | 35° | 81° | 42" | 4.2" |
| Kill Devil Hills, NC | 35° | 86° | 50" | 1.1" |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 32° | 87° | 48" | 3.4" |
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 Philo averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.5°).
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 Philo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Philo’s place among California’s.
Philo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Philo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ukiah 4 Wsw, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 39° | 7.3" | 0.3" | 17 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| February | 60° | 39° | 6.5" | 1.2" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| March | 63° | 40° | 5.8" | 0.6" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| April | 66° | 42° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| May | 72° | 46° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 78° | 49° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 84° | 52° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 84° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| September | 82° | 49° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 74° | 45° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 41° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 56° | 38° | 8.0" | 0.3" | 16 | 0 | 44° – 51° |
| Year | 70° | 44° | 37.7" | 2.5" | 99 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 58°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Philo’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 Philo’s center.
- Snow: Ukiah 4 Wsw, CA.
- 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 Philo’s climate
What is the weather like in Philo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 39°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Philo in winter?
December nights average 38°. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Philo get?
About 2.5 inches in a normal winter at Ukiah 4 Wsw, CA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Philo?
July, with a typical high of 84°. 90° days are rare.
What growing zone is Philo 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 Philo?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, June, July, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Philo 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 Philo.
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.