Photo: Jeremy Weate · CC BY 2.0Nights stay kind in Willits each January, milder than in 83% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 88°. The wettest month is December; the driest is July. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 81% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Willits at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Willits’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Willits’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Willits feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Willits 1 Ne, CA, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Willits’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 49 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 77 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Ukiah, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Willits
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Willits 1 Ne, CA.
Living with Willits’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Willits from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Willits and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Willits yet.
Climates most like Willits’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willits, CA | 36° | 88° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Elizabeth City, NC | 33° | 88° | 49" | 0.2" |
| North Myrtle Beach, SC | 37° | 88° | 52" | 0.5" |
| Decatur, GA | 33° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Valley, AL | 34° | 91° | 53" | 0.1" |
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 Willits averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.4°).
A smaller 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 Willits compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Willits’ place among California’s.
Willits weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Willits’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ukiah, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 36° | 9.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| February | 57° | 37° | 8.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| March | 60° | 39° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| April | 64° | 40° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 45° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 79° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 88° | 55° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 87° | 54° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 84° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| October | 74° | 44° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 60° | 39° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| December | 53° | 35° | 10.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 41° – 48° |
| Year | 69° | 44° | 49.0" | 0.0" | 77 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 55°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Willits’ 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 Willits’ center.
- Snow: Ukiah, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Willits 1 Ne, CA, 1.1 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 Willits’ climate
What is the weather like in Willits?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Willits in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 95 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Willits get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Ukiah, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Willits?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 55°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Willits 1 Ne, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Willits?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 157 frost-free days, at Willits 1 Ne, CA.
What growing zone is Willits in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Willits?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Willits getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Willits.
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.