Stratford reaches 100° on about 28 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 38°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 61° apart. Its yearly precipitation falls short of almost every U.S. town. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to January, which average under 50°.
A year in Stratford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stratford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stratford’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Stratford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 296 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 7 and the first by December 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hanford 1 S, CA, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stratford’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 8 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 42 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Hanford 1 S, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Stratford
54% 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 Hanford 1 S, CA.
Living with Stratford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
296 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 7 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Stratford from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Stratford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Stratford yet.
Climates most like Stratford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stratford, CA | 38° | 98° | 8" | 0.0" |
| Sahuarita, AZ | 37° | 99° | 12" | 0.1" |
| Canutillo, TX | 32° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
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 Stratford averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 73% 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 Stratford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stratford’s place among California’s.
Stratford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stratford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hanford 1 S, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 38° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| February | 63° | 41° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| March | 69° | 45° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 49° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 84° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 77° |
| June | 92° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 98° | 66° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| August | 97° | 65° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| September | 92° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| October | 81° | 52° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| November | 67° | 43° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| December | 57° | 37° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| Year | 78° | 51° | 7.6" | 0.0" | 42 | 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 77°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Stratford’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 Stratford’s center.
- Snow: Hanford 1 S, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hanford 1 S, CA, 14 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 Stratford’s climate
What is the weather like in Stratford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 98°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stratford 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 Stratford get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Hanford 1 S, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Stratford?
July, with a typical high of 98° and a low of 66°. About 108 days a year reach 90° and 28 reach 100° (Hanford 1 S, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Stratford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 7 and the first fall frost by December 1, about 296 frost-free days, at Hanford 1 S, CA.
What growing zone is Stratford in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Stratford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Stratford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stratford.
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.