Climate Comfort Score
54/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 48°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Alturas, CA Climate
Explore average temperature, rainfall, and comfort score sourced from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 climate normals →
- 48°F
- Avg annual temp
- 54/100
- Comfort score
- 11.7"
- Annual precip
- 102d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Alturas
Alturas, California averages 48°F a year and scores 54/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 27% of U.S. cities.
- 48°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 54/100
- comfort score, milder than 27% of U.S. cities
- 11.7"
- precipitation, annual total
- 102 days
- frost-free growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
48°F (9°C)
Avg High
64°F
Avg Low
32°F
Annual Precip
11.7"
Comfort Score
54/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
48°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
11.7"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Alturas) 54.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Alturas area.
How Alturas compares to every U.S. city
Alturas's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
54 Top 73% higher than 27% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Alturas
MethodologyHow the U.S. land temperature anomaly tracks against the global mean since 1900. The current NOAA 1991-2020 normal for Alturas captures average conditions across the spread shown, the most recent decade is warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44°F (7°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 1.5" | 28.7 | 0.0 |
| February | 47°F (8°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 1.0" | 25.8 | 0.0 |
| March | 53°F (12°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 1.2" | 26.0 | 0.0 |
| April | 59°F (15°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 1.2" | 22.5 | 0.0 |
| May | 70°F (21°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 1.4" | 10.6 | 0.6 |
| June | 79°F (26°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.7" | 3.4 | 4.2 |
| July | 90°F (32°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 0.2" | 0.3 | 17.4 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 0.3" | 0.9 | 14.0 |
| September | 81°F (27°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 0.4" | 8.5 | 4.4 |
| October | 67°F (19°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 0.9" | 22.7 | 0.2 |
| November | 52°F (11°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 1.4" | 25.8 | 0.0 |
| December | 42°F (5°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 1.5" | 28.6 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
January 1.5"
9.0 days with precipitation
February 1.0"
8.7 days with precipitation
March 1.2"
9.0 days with precipitation
April 1.2"
9.8 days with precipitation
May 1.4"
7.9 days with precipitation
June 0.7"
4.9 days with precipitation
July 0.2"
2.1 days with precipitation
August 0.3"
1.9 days with precipitation
September 0.4"
3.2 days with precipitation
October 0.9"
4.7 days with precipitation
November 1.4"
7.8 days with precipitation
December 1.5"
8.4 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
September 13
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
June 3
50% probability date
Growing Season
102 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,300
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
259
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
What Alturas's climate means for you
Alturas runs 48°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in December.
- Gardeners get about 102 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near June 3 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 6,300 heating and 259 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Alturas, CA
An annual average temperature of 48°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 64°F to a mean daily low of 32°F is what the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals report for Alturas, California. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while December is the coldest. That baseline comes from station USC00040161 and thirty years of averaging, so it reflects a typical month rather than any one year's swings.
Rainfall (and snow, where it falls) shapes day-to-day life here as much as temperature does. Alturas sees about 11.7 inches of precipitation a year, predominantly as rainfall. The frost-free season averages 102 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near June 3 and the first fall freeze near September 13. On the energy side, 6,300 heating degree days and 259 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Alturas scores 54/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above are the practical planning tool: mild highs and lows land in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat peaks in summer, and December-driven cold sets in over deep winter. These are thirty-year averages, not a forecast - any single year can run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Alturas, CA? ▼
The average annual temperature in Alturas, California is 48°F. The warmest month averages 90°F (32°C) and the coldest averages 21°F (-6°C).
How much rain does Alturas get? ▼
Alturas receives 11.7 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Alturas? ▼
Alturas has a climate comfort score of 54/100 (Moderate), milder than 27% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Alturas? ▼
Alturas has approximately 102 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around June 3 and the first fall freeze around September 13.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Alturas? ▼
Alturas has 6,300 heating degree days and 259 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Alturas climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00040161 near Alturas.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00040161. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.