Poplar-Cotton Center reaches 100° on about 37 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 39°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on almost every U.S. town. Warming shows here too: 2.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from February to April and October to November, with highs of 64–81°.
A year in Poplar-Cotton Center at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Poplar-Cotton Center’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Poplar-Cotton Center’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Poplar-Cotton Center feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 330 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 20 and the first by December 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Porterville, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Poplar-Cotton Center’s center in zone 9b: 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 8 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 45 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Lindsay, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Poplar-Cotton Center
47% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. 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 Porterville, CA.
Living with Poplar-Cotton Center’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
330 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 20 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Poplar-Cotton Center from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Poplar-Cotton Center and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Poplar-Cotton Center yet.
Climates most like Poplar-Cotton Center’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poplar-Cotton Center, CA | 39° | 98° | 8" | 0.2" |
| Sahuarita, AZ | 37° | 99° | 12" | 0.1" |
| Canutillo, TX | 32° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Poplar-Cotton Center averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Poplar-Cotton Center compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Poplar-Cotton Center’s place among California’s.
Poplar-Cotton Center weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Poplar-Cotton Center’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lindsay, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 39° | 1.5" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| February | 64° | 42° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| March | 70° | 45° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 49° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| May | 84° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 77° |
| June | 92° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 98° | 67° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| August | 97° | 65° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| September | 92° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| October | 81° | 52° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| November | 67° | 43° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| December | 57° | 38° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| Year | 78° | 51° | 8.0" | 0.2" | 45 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 62° to 77°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Poplar-Cotton Center’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 Poplar-Cotton Center’s center.
- Snow: Lindsay, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Porterville, CA, 7 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 Poplar-Cotton Center’s climate
What is the weather like in Poplar-Cotton Center?
A typical July afternoon reaches 98°, 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 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Poplar-Cotton Center in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 15 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Poplar-Cotton Center get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Lindsay, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Poplar-Cotton Center?
July, with a typical high of 98° and a low of 67°. About 122 days a year reach 90° and 37 reach 100° (Porterville, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Poplar-Cotton Center?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 20 and the first fall frost by December 13, about 330 frost-free days, at Porterville, CA.
What growing zone is Poplar-Cotton Center in?
Zone 9b 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 Poplar-Cotton Center?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Poplar-Cotton Center getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Poplar-Cotton Center.
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.