Malakoff Diggins-North Bloomfield Historic District · Photo: J.smith, Retouched by Mmxx · CC BY-SA 3.0Pike is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 69 inches of precipitation a year
January nights here settle around 33°. Precipitation peaks in December and eases off in July. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 77% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 70–81°, belongs to May, June, September and October.
A year in Pike at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pike’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pike’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Pike feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Downieville, CA, 13 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pike’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Nevada City, CA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 69 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pike
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Downieville, CA.
Living with Pike’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 28 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pike from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pike and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pike yet.
Climates most like Pike’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike, CA | 33° | 87° | 69" | 15" |
| Dahlonega, GA | 30° | 87° | 63" | 3.3" |
| Fort Payne, AL | 31° | 86° | 60" | 5.0" |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 29° | 85° | 62" | 4.3" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
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 Pike averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Pike compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pike’s place among California’s.
Pike weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pike’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Nevada City, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 33° | 12.2" | 2.3" | 14 | 2 | 36° – 49° |
| February | 52° | 34° | 11.1" | 4.6" | 12 | 4 | 35° – 50° |
| March | 56° | 36° | 10.4" | 3.2" | 12 | 3 | 38° – 53° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 5.7" | 0.9" | 9 | 1 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 52° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 87° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 86° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 81° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 70° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 56° | 37° | 7.0" | 0.8" | 9 | 1 | 38° – 53° |
| December | 48° | 33° | 13.4" | 2.7" | 12 | 2 | 37° – 46° |
| Year | 66° | 43° | 68.6" | 14.5" | 85 | 13 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 65°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Pike’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 Pike’s center.
- Snow: Nevada City, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Downieville, CA, 13 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower; 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 Pike’s climate
What is the weather like in Pike?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pike in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 112 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Pike get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Nevada City, CA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pike?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 58°. About 53 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Downieville, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Pike?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 178 frost-free days, at Downieville, CA.
What growing zone is Pike in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pike?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pike getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pike.
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.