Terra Bella reaches 100° on about 37 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 39°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 60°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 98% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from February to April and October to November, with highs of 64–81°.
A year in Terra Bella at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Terra Bella’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Terra Bella’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Terra Bella feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 330 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 20 and the first by December 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Porterville, CA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Terra Bella’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 10 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 45 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Lindsay, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Terra Bella
47% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Porterville, CA.
Living with Terra Bella’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
330 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 20 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 13.
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 Terra Bella from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Terra Bella and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Terra Bella yet.
Climates most like Terra Bella’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terra Bella, CA | 39° | 98° | 10" | 0.2" |
| Sahuarita, AZ | 37° | 99° | 12" | 0.1" |
| Canutillo, TX | 32° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
| 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 Terra Bella averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 Terra Bella compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Terra Bella’s place among California’s.
Terra Bella weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Terra Bella’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lindsay, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 39° | 1.8" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| February | 64° | 42° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| March | 70° | 45° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 49° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| May | 85° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 77° |
| June | 93° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 98° | 67° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 79° – 87° |
| August | 97° | 66° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| September | 92° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 81° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| November | 67° | 43° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 58° | 38° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 45° – 52° |
| Year | 78° | 51° | 9.5" | 0.2" | 45 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 62° to 77°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Terra Bella’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 Terra Bella’s center.
- Snow: Lindsay, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Porterville, CA, 8 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 Terra Bella’s climate
What is the weather like in Terra Bella?
A typical July afternoon reaches 98°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Terra Bella in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 15 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Terra Bella get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Lindsay, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Terra Bella?
July, with a typical high of 98° and a low of 67°. About 122 days a year reach 90° and 37 reach 100° (Porterville, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Terra Bella?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 20 and the first fall frost by December 13, about 330 frost-free days, at Porterville, CA.
What growing zone is Terra Bella 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 Terra Bella?
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 Terra Bella getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Terra Bella.
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.