Snelling reaches 100° on about 25 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 38°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 93% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. The heating season runs December to January: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Snelling at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Snelling’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Snelling’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Snelling feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 263 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 3 and the first by November 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Merced, CA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Snelling’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 26°. 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 rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 58 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Exchequer Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Snelling
65% 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 Merced, CA.
Living with Snelling’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
263 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 3 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Snelling from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Snelling and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Snelling yet.
Climates most like Snelling’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snelling, CA | 38° | 96° | 15" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Del Rio, TX | 40° | 98° | 19" | 0.2" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| 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 Snelling averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 Snelling compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Snelling’s place among California’s.
Snelling weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Snelling’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Exchequer Dam, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 38° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| February | 62° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 73° | 46° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| May | 82° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 74° |
| June | 90° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 96° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| August | 95° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| September | 90° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| October | 79° | 50° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| November | 66° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 37° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| Year | 76° | 49° | 14.8" | 0.0" | 58 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 59° to 74°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Snelling’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 Snelling’s center.
- Snow: Exchequer Dam, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Merced, CA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Snelling’s climate
What is the weather like in Snelling?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Snelling in winter?
December nights average 37°. About 24 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Snelling get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Exchequer Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Snelling?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 62°. About 106 days a year reach 90° and 25 reach 100° (Merced, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Snelling?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 3 and the first fall frost by November 24, about 263 frost-free days, at Merced, CA.
What growing zone is Snelling in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Snelling?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Snelling getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Snelling.
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.