Photo: Cullen328 · CC BY-SA 4.0July in Rough and Ready runs hotter than in 85% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 37° on average. December is the wettest month, July the driest. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 10; autumn frost returns near November 13.
A year in Rough and Ready at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rough and Ready’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rough and Ready’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Rough and Ready feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 215 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grass Valley #2, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rough and Ready’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Grass Valley #2, CA, is heaviest from February through March, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rough and Ready
84% of the work is heating. 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 Grass Valley #2, CA.
Living with Rough and Ready’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
215 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rough and Ready from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rough and Ready and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rough and Ready yet.
Climates most like Rough and Ready’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rough and Ready, CA | 37° | 92° | 47" | 8.6" |
| Stuttgart, AR | 33° | 91° | 50" | 3.3" |
| Lake City, SC | 35° | 92° | 48" | 1.6" |
| Aberdeen, NC | 32° | 90° | 47" | 3.3" |
| Mount Pleasant, TX | 35° | 94° | 48" | 1.9" |
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 Rough and Ready averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Rough and Ready compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rough and Ready’s place among California’s.
Rough and Ready weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rough and Ready’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grass Valley #2, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 37° | 8.2" | 0.7" | 13 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| February | 57° | 39° | 8.1" | 3.0" | 12 | 1 | 41° – 55° |
| March | 61° | 41° | 7.1" | 3.0" | 12 | 1 | 43° – 58° |
| April | 66° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 50° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 70° |
| June | 84° | 57° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| July | 92° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 91° | 62° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 85° | 58° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| November | 61° | 42° | 4.9" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| December | 53° | 37° | 9.0" | 1.2" | 12 | 0 | 42° – 49° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 46.8" | 8.6" | 82 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 53° to 70°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rough and Ready’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 Rough and Ready’s center.
- Snow: Grass Valley #2, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grass Valley #2, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft higher; 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 Rough and Ready’s climate
What is the weather like in Rough and Ready?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 37°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rough and Ready in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 61 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Rough and Ready get?
About 8.6 inches in a normal winter at Grass Valley #2, CA, heaviest from February through March, about 3 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rough and Ready?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 63°. About 36 days a year reach 90° (Grass Valley #2, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Rough and Ready?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 215 frost-free days, at Grass Valley #2, CA.
What growing zone is Rough and Ready in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rough and Ready?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rough and Ready getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rough and Ready.
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.