Photo: NoeHill · CC BY-SA 3.0Tehama reaches 100° on about 35 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Tehama at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tehama’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tehama’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Tehama feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 281 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 22 and the first by November 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Red Bluff Muni Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tehama’s center in zone 9a: 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 26 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 76 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Red Bluff Trtmt Plt, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Tehama
57% 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 Red Bluff Muni Airport.
Living with Tehama’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
281 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 22 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 3.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tehama from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tehama and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tehama yet.
Climates most like Tehama’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tehama, CA | 39° | 97° | 26" | 0.1" |
| Pearsall, TX | 41° | 97° | 24" | 0.0" |
| Vail, AZ | 36° | 97° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Lawton, OK | 29° | 96° | 32" | 1.8" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
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 Tehama averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 Tehama compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tehama’s place among California’s.
Tehama weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tehama’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Red Bluff Trtmt Plt, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 39° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 13 | 44° – 54° |
| February | 62° | 41° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 46° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 44° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 47° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 65° |
| May | 82° | 55° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 59° – 76° |
| June | 91° | 62° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 70° – 82° |
| July | 97° | 66° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| August | 95° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 76° – 83° |
| September | 91° | 59° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 80° | 51° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 61° – 71° |
| November | 65° | 43° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 47° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 38° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 43° – 52° |
| Year | 76° | 51° | 26.1" | 0.1" | 76 |
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 76°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Tehama’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 Tehama’s center.
- Snow: Red Bluff Trtmt Plt, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Red Bluff Muni Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; 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 Tehama’s climate
What is the weather like in Tehama?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 39°, 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 Tehama in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 19 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Tehama get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Red Bluff Trtmt Plt, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Tehama?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 66°. About 104 days a year reach 90° and 35 reach 100° (Red Bluff Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Tehama?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 22 and the first fall frost by November 29, about 281 frost-free days, at Red Bluff Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Tehama in?
Zone 9a 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 Tehama?
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 Tehama getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tehama.
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.