Winterhaven reaches 100° on about 133 days a year, more than all but 0 U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 45°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of almost every U.S. town. Warming shows here too: 2.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Plan time outside from November to March, when highs sit at 68–81°.
A year in Winterhaven at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Winterhaven’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Winterhaven’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Winterhaven feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 days a year reach 100°
And 195 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Winterhaven’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 34°. 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 3 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 12 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Winterhaven
16% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ.
Living with Winterhaven’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 6 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 133 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Winterhaven from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Winterhaven and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Winterhaven yet.
Climates most like Winterhaven’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winterhaven, CA | 45° | 108° | 3" | 0.0" |
| Laughlin, NV | 45° | 110° | 5" | 0.0" |
| Bullhead City, AZ | 44° | 110° | 5" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Laredo, TX | 45° | 99° | 20" | 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 Winterhaven averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Winterhaven compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Winterhaven’s place among California’s.
Winterhaven weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Winterhaven’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 70° | 45° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| February | 74° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| March | 81° | 52° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| April | 87° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| May | 95° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| June | 104° | 72° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 83° – 92° |
| July | 108° | 80° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 90° – 97° |
| August | 107° | 81° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 91° – 97° |
| September | 102° | 75° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 85° – 91° |
| October | 91° | 62° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| November | 78° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| December | 68° | 44° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| Year | 89° | 61° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 60° to 73°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Winterhaven’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 Winterhaven’s center.
- Snow: Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ, 1.2 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 Winterhaven’s climate
What is the weather like in Winterhaven?
A typical July afternoon reaches 108°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 19 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Winterhaven in winter?
December nights average 44°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 52°.
How much snow does Winterhaven get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Winterhaven?
July, with a typical high of 108° and a low of 80°. About 195 days a year reach 90° and 133 reach 100° (Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Winterhaven?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 57% of winters at Yuma Quartermaster Depot, AZ, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Winterhaven in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 34°.
What is the best time of year to visit Winterhaven?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Winterhaven getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Winterhaven.
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.