Few U.S. towns have warmer summer afternoons than Woody
Nights in January average 39°. Winter and summer sit 59° apart. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 92% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from March to May and October to November, when afternoons reach 66–81°.
A year in Woody at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Woody’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Woody’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Woody feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from Glennville, CA, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Woody’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 16 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 38 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Bakersfield Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Woody
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Glennville, CA.
Living with Woody’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by May 11 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Woody from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Woody and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Woody yet.
Climates most like Woody’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woody, CA | 39° | 97° | 16" | 0.1" |
| Del Rio, TX | 40° | 98° | 19" | 0.2" |
| Vail, AZ | 36° | 97° | 14" | 0.1" |
| 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 Woody averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Woody compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Woody’s place among California’s.
Woody weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Woody’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bakersfield Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| February | 62° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| March | 66° | 43° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| April | 72° | 46° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| May | 81° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 74° |
| June | 91° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| July | 97° | 67° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| August | 96° | 65° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 91° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 79° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| November | 66° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 39° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 51° |
| Year | 77° | 51° | 16.2" | 0.1" | 38 | 0 |
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 74°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Woody’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 Woody’s center.
- Snow: Bakersfield Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glennville, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 870 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 Woody’s climate
What is the weather like in Woody?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, 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 Woody in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 108 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Woody get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Bakersfield Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Woody?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 67°. About 50 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Glennville, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Woody?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 155 frost-free days, at Glennville, CA.
What growing zone is Woody 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 Woody?
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 Woody getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Woody.
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.