Shasta, CA climate
Shasta has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 98°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Shasta feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
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 | 55° | 38° | 8.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| February | 59° | 40° | 9.2" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| March | 64° | 42° | 8.3" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| April | 70° | 46° | 3.8" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 80° | 53° | 2.4" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 56° – 74° |
| June | 89° | 60° | 1.1" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 68° – 82° |
| July | 98° | 66° | 0.1" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| August | 96° | 64° | 0.1" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| September | 91° | 59° | 0.5" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 78° | 51° | 2.4" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 62° | 43° | 5.1" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| December | 54° | 38° | 9.7" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 49° |
| Year | 75° | 50° | 51.5" | 0.7" | 59 | 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 Shasta
Shasta gets 51 inches of rain and melted snow a year. December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 59 days a year.
About 304 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 13 and the first one by December 13. That leaves about 304 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 95% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Shasta
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Shasta, 58% of that work is heating and 42% is cooling.
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.
Shasta and its neighbors
Shasta borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Keswick has the coldest January nights (38°) and Redding the hottest July afternoons (99°). Shasta’s January low is 38° and its July high 98°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How 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 Shasta averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.3°). The shift is larger than in 54% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at 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 56° to 74°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Shasta’s climate
What is the coldest month in Shasta?
December, with a typical high of 54° and a low of 38°.
What is the hottest month in Shasta?
July, with a typical high of 98° and a low of 66°. About 98 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Shasta get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.7 inches.
When is the first frost in Shasta?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by December 13, and the last spring frost by February 13.
What is the rainiest month in Shasta?
December, with 9.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 51 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Shasta itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Redding Cdf, CA (11 mi, snow) and Whiskeytown Rsvr, CA (3 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.