Dorris, CA climate
Dorris has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Dorris feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Dorris weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 24° | 2.2" | 12.1" | 13 | 11 | 27° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 25° | 1.7" | 10.6" | 10 | 8 | 29° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 28° | 1.9" | 5.8" | 11 | 4 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 1.3" | 1.9" | 10 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 38° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 43° | 0.8" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| July | 85° | 51° | 0.3" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| August | 85° | 49° | 0.3" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 78° | 43° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 64° | 34° | 1.1" | 0.3" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 49° | 28° | 1.9" | 6.6" | 11 | 4 | 28° – 44° |
| December | 41° | 23° | 2.5" | 14.7" | 12 | 12 | 28° – 36° |
| Year | 62° | 35° | 15.7" | 52.2" | 93 | 40 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Dorris
Dorris gets 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year. December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 40 days of the year.
About 107 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first one by September 20. That leaves about 107 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Dorris
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Dorris, 96% of that work is heating and 4% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Dorris compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Dorris averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°). The shift is larger than in 81% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Dorris’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. November swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 28° to 44°. December is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Dorris’s climate
What is the coldest month in Dorris?
December, with a typical high of 41° and a low of 23°.
What is the hottest month in Dorris?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 51°. About 34 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Dorris get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Dorris?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 20, and the last spring frost by June 5.
What is the rainiest month in Dorris?
December, with 2.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Dorris itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Keno, OR (9 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.