Needles, CA climate
Needles has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 110°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Needles feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Needles 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 | 65° | 45° | 0.7" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| February | 70° | 47° | 0.7" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| March | 78° | 53° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| April | 86° | 59° | 0.2" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| May | 95° | 68° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 76° – 88° |
| June | 106° | 77° | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 86° – 97° |
| July | 110° | 84° | 0.3" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 93° – 99° |
| August | 109° | 83° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 92° – 99° |
| September | 102° | 75° | 0.3" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 86° – 93° |
| October | 89° | 63° | 0.3" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| November | 75° | 51° | 0.3" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| December | 64° | 44° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| Year | 87° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 23 | 0 |
“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 Needles
Needles gets 4 inches of rain and melted snow a year. February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 23 days a year.
A year-round growing season
Heating and cooling a home in Needles
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Needles, 16% of that work is heating and 84% is cooling, so air conditioning is the bigger bill.
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 Needles 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 Needles averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°). The shift is larger than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Needles’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 58° to 73°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Needles’s climate
What is the coldest month in Needles?
December, with a typical high of 64° and a low of 44°.
What is the hottest month in Needles?
July, with a typical high of 110° and a low of 84°. About 177 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Needles get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Needles?
Frost is uncommon. Only 37% of years see a night at 32° or below.
What is the rainiest month in Needles?
February, with 0.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 4 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Needles itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Needles Airport, CA (3 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.