Sunny Slopes is among the driest of U.S. towns: 9 inches of precipitation a year
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 63°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 68% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from June to September, the months with highs of 75–83°.
A year in Sunny Slopes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sunny Slopes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sunny Slopes’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Sunny Slopes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 98 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 10 and the first by September 17. Frost and day counts come from Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA, 17 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sunny Slopes’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 9 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sunny Slopes
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA.
Living with Sunny Slopes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
98 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 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 Sep 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sunny Slopes from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sunny Slopes and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sunny Slopes 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 Sunny Slopes averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Sunny Slopes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sunny Slopes’ place among California’s.
Sunny Slopes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sunny Slopes’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 21° | 1.7" | 26° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 21° | 1.6" | 26° – 43° |
| March | 51° | 25° | 1.1" | 30° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 29° | 0.5" | 38° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 37° | 0.5" | 43° – 57° |
| June | 76° | 45° | 0.2" | 53° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 52° | 0.4" | 64° – 71° |
| August | 82° | 50° | 0.2" | 62° – 70° |
| September | 75° | 44° | 0.3" | 55° – 63° |
| October | 64° | 35° | 0.6" | 45° – 55° |
| November | 53° | 26° | 0.9" | 30° – 47° |
| December | 44° | 20° | 1.2" | 28° – 37° |
| Year | 62° | 34° | 9.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sunny Slopes’ 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 Sunny Slopes’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 680 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 Sunny Slopes’ climate
What is the weather like in Sunny Slopes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sunny Slopes in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 210 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How hot does it get in Sunny Slopes?
July, with a typical high of 83°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Sunny Slopes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 10 and the first fall frost by September 17, about 98 frost-free days, at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA.
What growing zone is Sunny Slopes in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sunny Slopes?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sunny Slopes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sunny Slopes.
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.