Iron Horse, CA climate
Iron Horse has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Iron Horse feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Iron Horse 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 | 43° | 23° | 4.7" | 11.7" | 9 | 9 | 24° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 25° | 4.5" | 7.6" | 9 | 6 | 28° – 44° |
| March | 51° | 28° | 4.0" | 6.4" | 8 | 5 | 32° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 31° | 2.0" | 1.8" | 6 | 1 | 38° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 38° | 1.5" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| June | 76° | 43° | 0.7" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| July | 85° | 49° | 0.2" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| August | 84° | 47° | 0.2" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 78° | 42° | 0.5" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 65° | 34° | 1.4" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 51° | 27° | 2.5" | 2.4" | 6 | 1 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 42° | 23° | 4.8" | 7.2" | 8 | 6 | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 62° | 34° | 27.0" | 37.8" | 62 | 29 |
“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 Iron Horse
Iron Horse gets 27 inches of rain and melted snow a year. December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 29 days of the year.
About 91 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 11 and the first one by September 10. That leaves about 91 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Iron Horse
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Iron Horse, 98% of that work is heating and 2% 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.
Iron Horse and its neighbors
Iron Horse borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.3°. Portola has both the coldest January nights (22°) and the hottest July afternoons (86°). Iron Horse’s January low is 23° and its July high 85°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Iron Horse 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 Iron Horse averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°). The shift is larger than in 65% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Iron Horse’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 24° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Iron Horse’s climate
What is the coldest month in Iron Horse?
December, with a typical high of 42° and a low of 23°.
What is the hottest month in Iron Horse?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 49°. About 22 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Iron Horse get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Iron Horse?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 10, and the last spring frost by June 11.
What is the rainiest month in Iron Horse?
December, with 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 27 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Iron Horse itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Portola, CA (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.