Ranked from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
Coldest Winters in California
Average daily low in the coldest month, coldest counties first, with the heating degree days beside it. Figures are NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals from the weather station nearest each county seat, so they describe a thirty-year average rather than any single year.
California ranked
| # | County | Winter low | Heating degree days | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alpine County | 18.0°F | 7,599 | $3,452 |
| 2 | Modoc County | 20.0°F | 6,558 | $1,699 |
| 3 | Mono County | 20.6°F | 6,236 | $3,819 |
| 4 | Lassen County | 22.3°F | 5,834 | $2,035 |
| 5 | Plumas County | 25.2°F | 5,728 | $2,505 |
| 6 | Siskiyou County | 25.9°F | 5,127 | $2,194 |
| 7 | El Dorado County | 30.5°F | 4,977 | $4,665 |
| 8 | Mariposa County | 30.5°F | 5,919 | $2,705 |
| 9 | Tuolumne County | 30.9°F | 4,564 | $3,035 |
| 10 | Mendocino County | 32.3°F | 4,527 | $3,593 |
| 11 | Glenn County | 33.0°F | 3,190 | $2,561 |
| 12 | Nevada County | 33.1°F | 5,213 | $4,423 |
| 13 | Placer County | 33.1°F | 5,213 | $4,872 |
| 14 | Sierra County | 33.1°F | 5,213 | $2,567 |
| 15 | San Benito County | 33.4°F | 2,857 | $5,498 |
| 16 | Santa Barbara County | 33.4°F | 2,432 | $5,298 |
| 17 | Trinity County | 34.1°F | 3,868 | $2,466 |
| 18 | Merced County | 34.3°F | 2,909 | $2,775 |
| 19 | San Bernardino County | 35.0°F | 2,019 | $3,521 |
| 20 | Kings County | 35.6°F | 2,367 | $2,363 |
| 21 | San Diego County | 35.6°F | 2,329 | $5,707 |
| 22 | Lake County | 36.0°F | 2,879 | $2,433 |
| 23 | Tulare County | 36.0°F | 2,448 | $2,338 |
| 24 | Sonoma County | 36.9°F | 2,904 | $5,631 |
| 25 | Monterey County | 37.1°F | 2,288 | $5,210 |
| 26 | Solano County | 37.1°F | 2,446 | $4,335 |
| 27 | Shasta County | 37.2°F | 2,576 | $2,637 |
| 28 | Alameda County | 37.5°F | 2,709 | $7,599 |
| 29 | Yolo County | 37.5°F | 2,432 | $4,374 |
| 30 | Madera County | 37.6°F | 2,356 | $2,778 |
| 31 | Colusa County | 37.7°F | 2,588 | $2,817 |
| 32 | Riverside County | 37.7°F | 1,108 | $3,815 |
| 33 | Sutter County | 37.7°F | 2,551 | $3,023 |
| 34 | Yuba County | 37.7°F | 2,551 | $2,880 |
| 35 | Calaveras County | 37.8°F | 2,547 | $3,295 |
| 36 | Tehama County | 37.8°F | 2,525 | $2,400 |
| 37 | San Joaquin County | 38.4°F | 2,259 | $3,681 |
| 38 | Stanislaus County | 38.6°F | 2,300 | $3,188 |
| 39 | Amador County | 38.8°F | 2,857 | $3,157 |
| 40 | Napa County | 38.8°F | 3,375 | $6,031 |
| 41 | Butte County | 39.6°F | 2,394 | $3,058 |
| 42 | Kern County | 39.6°F | 1,958 | $2,438 |
| 43 | Fresno County | 39.8°F | 2,187 | $2,757 |
| 44 | Humboldt County | 40.0°F | 4,506 | $3,114 |
| 45 | San Luis Obispo County | 40.2°F | 2,265 | $5,610 |
| 46 | Sacramento County | 40.7°F | 2,139 | $3,707 |
| 47 | Santa Cruz County | 40.9°F | 2,487 | $7,185 |
| 48 | Inyo County | 41.0°F | 1,119 | $2,577 |
| 49 | Imperial County | 41.2°F | 966 | $2,201 |
| 50 | Contra Costa County | 41.3°F | 3,309 | $6,069 |
| 51 | Del Norte County | 41.4°F | 4,423 | $2,415 |
| 52 | Santa Clara County | 41.7°F | 2,184 | $9,799 |
| 53 | Marin County | 42.1°F | 2,481 | $9,864 |
| 54 | Orange County | 42.8°F | 1,287 | $6,537 |
| 55 | San Mateo County | 42.9°F | 3,701 | $10,456 |
| 56 | Ventura County | 43.8°F | 1,551 | $5,542 |
| 57 | Los Angeles County | 44.2°F | 1,400 | $5,646 |
| 58 | San Francisco County | 46.6°F | 2,781 | $9,756 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Coldest Winters across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in California