Modoc County, CA Climate

Modoc County, CA has a semiarid continental climate, characterized by hot summers and cold winters. During the summer months, temperatures can reach as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit or more, while winter temperatures can reach down to below zero on occasion. Rainfall is scarce throughout the year, with seasonal averages of only about 10 inches a year. Despite the dry conditions, there are still plenty of areas that experience snow in the wintertime, with an average snowfall of around 30 inches through the season. The dryness of the area makes it prone to wildfires during periods of extended drought and heat.

Modoc County, California gets 14 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Modoc County averages 34 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 243 sunny days per year in Modoc County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Modoc County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 80 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 87 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 20
Rain: averages 14 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 34 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Modoc County is 7.1 (10=best), which means it is one of the least comfortable places in California.

8.7 Summer - 5.1 Winter

June, September and August are the most pleasant months in Modoc County, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Modoc, California	United States
	14.1 in.	38.1 in.
	33.9 in.	27.8 in.
	80.0 days	106.2 days
	243 days	205 days
	87.3°	85.8°
	20.0°	21.7°
	7.1	7
	5.1	4.3
	4974 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Modoc County with an average high temperature of 87.3°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in California. In Modoc County, there are 2 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Modoc County are September, June and August.

In Modoc County, there are 27.1 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in California.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Modoc County with an average of 19.9°. This is one of the coldest places in California.

In Modoc County, there are 174.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in California.

In Modoc County, there are 3.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the coldest places in California.

Humidity is very low in Modoc County, so low that the dry air may be uncomfortable for some people. There are few days during the year when the humidity is even noticable. A very dry climate can lead to cracked, itchy skin and dry eyes.

December is the wettest month in Modoc County with 2.0 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.3 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 35% of yearly precipitation and 10% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 14.1 inches in Modoc County means that it is drier than most places in California.

December is the rainiest month in Modoc County with 10.0 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 1.7 rainy days. There are 80.0 rainy days annually in Modoc County, which is rainier than most places in California. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 35% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 10% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 33.9 inches in Modoc County means that it is one of the snowiest places in California. December is the snowiest month in Modoc County with 7.7 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.