Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Squirrel Mountain Valley: 11 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 94°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 92% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.8° above 1901–2000. Plan time outside for April, May, October and November, when highs sit at 63–76°.
A year in Squirrel Mountain Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Squirrel Mountain Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Squirrel Mountain Valley’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Squirrel Mountain Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 212 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from S Lake Fs, CA, 3 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Squirrel Mountain Valley’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 11 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Squirrel Mountain Valley
64% 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 S Lake Fs, CA.
Living with Squirrel Mountain Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
212 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 5 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Squirrel Mountain Valley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Squirrel Mountain Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Squirrel Mountain Valley yet.
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 Squirrel Mountain Valley averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in June (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 Squirrel Mountain Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Squirrel Mountain Valley’s place among California’s.
Squirrel Mountain Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Squirrel Mountain Valley’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 36° | 2.1" | 42° – 52° |
| February | 58° | 37° | 2.3" | 39° – 55° |
| March | 62° | 39° | 1.6" | 43° – 58° |
| April | 67° | 42° | 0.7" | 49° – 59° |
| May | 76° | 50° | 0.4" | 54° – 71° |
| June | 86° | 58° | 0.1" | 65° – 76° |
| July | 94° | 64° | 0.1" | 74° – 83° |
| August | 93° | 63° | 0.1" | 75° – 82° |
| September | 87° | 58° | 0.1" | 68° – 76° |
| October | 75° | 49° | 0.4" | 58° – 68° |
| November | 63° | 41° | 0.9" | 43° – 58° |
| December | 55° | 35° | 1.8" | 41° – 50° |
| Year | 73° | 48° | 10.6" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 71°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Squirrel Mountain Valley’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 Squirrel Mountain Valley’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: S Lake Fs, CA, 3 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft lower; 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 Squirrel Mountain Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Squirrel Mountain Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 36°. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Squirrel Mountain Valley in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 80 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How hot does it get in Squirrel Mountain Valley?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 64°. About 114 days a year reach 90° and 43 reach 100° (S Lake Fs, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Squirrel Mountain Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 212 frost-free days, at S Lake Fs, CA.
What growing zone is Squirrel Mountain Valley in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Squirrel Mountain Valley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Squirrel Mountain Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Squirrel Mountain Valley.
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.