Round Mountain sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 61 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 33° on average. Its July heat outdoes that of 92% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by September. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Round Mountain at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Round Mountain’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Round Mountain’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Round Mountain feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 113 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first by September 19. Frost and day counts come from Hat Creek, CA, 23 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Round Mountain’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 22°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buckhorn, CA, falls mostly in January and March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 61 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Round Mountain
94% 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 Hat Creek, CA.
Living with Round Mountain’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
113 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by May 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 2.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Round Mountain from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Round Mountain and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Round Mountain yet.
Climates most like Round Mountain’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round Mountain, CA | 33° | 93° | 61" | 21" |
| East End, AR | 32° | 92° | 54" | 3.8" |
| Germantown, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.8" |
| Cleveland, MS | 35° | 91° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Idabel, OK | 32° | 93° | 53" | 2.0" |
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 Round Mountain averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 Round Mountain compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Round Mountain’s place among California’s.
Round Mountain weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Round Mountain’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buckhorn, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 33° | 10.6" | 7.0" | 13 | 3 | 37° – 49° |
| February | 55° | 35° | 9.2" | 4.1" | 12 | 2 | 38° – 52° |
| March | 60° | 37° | 8.9" | 6.8" | 13 | 4 | 40° – 56° |
| April | 66° | 41° | 5.3" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 76° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 69° |
| June | 85° | 54° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| July | 93° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 92° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 87° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 74° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| November | 59° | 37° | 6.4" | 0.8" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 53° |
| December | 50° | 32° | 11.6" | 1.9" | 13 | 1 | 38° – 45° |
| Year | 71° | 44° | 61.0" | 20.9" | 95 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 69°. December is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Round Mountain’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 Round Mountain’s center.
- Snow: Buckhorn, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hat Creek, CA, 23 miles from the town’s center, 840 ft higher; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Round Mountain’s climate
What is the weather like in Round Mountain?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Round Mountain in winter?
December nights average 32°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Round Mountain get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Buckhorn, CA, most of it in January and March, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Round Mountain?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 59°. About 61 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Hat Creek, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Round Mountain?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 29 and the first fall frost by September 19, about 113 frost-free days, at Hat Creek, CA.
What growing zone is Round Mountain in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Round Mountain?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Round Mountain getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Round Mountain.
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.