Mount Shasta, CA climate
Mount Shasta has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 89 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Mount Shasta feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Mount Shasta 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 | 47° | 27° | 6.0" | 18.2" | 13 | 15 | 32° – 43° |
| February | 50° | 28° | 6.0" | 20.3" | 13 | 10 | 32° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 30° | 5.0" | 11.0" | 13 | 5 | 36° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 34° | 2.6" | 5.4" | 11 | 1 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 71° | 40° | 1.8" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 79° | 46° | 1.0" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| July | 88° | 51° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| August | 88° | 50° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 81° | 44° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 68° | 36° | 1.8" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 53° | 30° | 3.8" | 7.8" | 11 | 3 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 26° | 6.7" | 26.1" | 14 | 13 | 32° – 41° |
| Year | 65° | 37° | 35.6" | 89.3" | 101 | 48 |
“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 Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta gets 36 inches of rain and melted snow a year. December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 101 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 48 days of the year.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first one by October 6. That leaves about 143 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 87% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Mount Shasta
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Mount Shasta, 95% of that work is heating and 5% 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 Mount Shasta 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 Mount Shasta averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°). The shift is larger than in 62% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Mount Shasta’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. May swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 48° to 62°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Mount Shasta’s climate
What is the coldest month in Mount Shasta?
December, with a typical high of 45° and a low of 26°.
What is the hottest month in Mount Shasta?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 51°. About 23 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Mount Shasta get?
About 89 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Mount Shasta?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 6, and the last spring frost by May 15.
What is the rainiest month in Mount Shasta?
December, with 6.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 36 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Mount Shasta itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Mt Shasta, CA (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.