Photo: JMBeggs'nCali · CC BY-SA 4.0Ridgecrest reaches 100° on about 82 days a year, more than all but 86 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 103°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Ridgecrest at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ridgecrest’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ridgecrest’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Ridgecrest feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 250 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 9 and the first by November 20. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at China Lake Naf, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Inyokern, CA, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ridgecrest’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 4 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 19 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Inyokern, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ridgecrest
50% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Inyokern, CA.
Living with Ridgecrest’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
250 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 9 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April and October. 35 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ridgecrest from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ridgecrest and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ridgecrest yet.
Climates most like Ridgecrest’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgecrest, CA | 34° | 103° | 4" | 0.5" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| North Las Vegas, NV | 36° | 105° | 5" | 0.0" |
| Wickenburg, AZ | 36° | 103° | 11" | 0.1" |
| Monahans, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 0.7" |
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 Ridgecrest averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.1°).
A bigger shift than in 57% 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 Ridgecrest compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ridgecrest’s place among California’s.
Ridgecrest weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ridgecrest’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Inyokern, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| February | 64° | 38° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| March | 71° | 43° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| April | 78° | 48° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 87° | 56° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 79° |
| June | 97° | 65° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 86° |
| July | 103° | 71° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 83° – 91° |
| August | 102° | 69° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 82° – 89° |
| September | 95° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| October | 83° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| November | 69° | 40° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 46° – 61° |
| December | 58° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| Year | 80° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.5" | 19 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 61° to 79°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Ridgecrest’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 Ridgecrest’s center.
- Snow: Inyokern, CA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Inyokern, CA, 9 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: China Lake Naf, CA, 4 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 Ridgecrest’s climate
What is the weather like in Ridgecrest?
A typical July afternoon reaches 103°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 89 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ridgecrest in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 59 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Ridgecrest get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Inyokern, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ridgecrest?
July, with a typical high of 103° and a low of 71°. About 141 days a year reach 90° and 82 reach 100° (Inyokern, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Ridgecrest?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 9 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 250 frost-free days, at Inyokern, CA.
What growing zone is Ridgecrest in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ridgecrest?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ridgecrest getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ridgecrest.
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.