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Chico weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

Average temperatures in Chico follow a clear seasonal rhythm, rising and falling by 35.2°F over the course of the year. Rain here skips the warm season: the bulk of it falls from November to March. Chico weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, extremes and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

−3.7°Fhigh below average

73° / 44°Today
77° / 53°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

+4.9°Faverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–491frost days a year now (2016–2025) · 7 in the 1940sfrost days a year · 7 in the 1940s149days above 86°F a year now (2016–2025) · 114 in the 1940sdays above 86°F · 114 in the 1940s+4.9°F vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 7.3 incheshigh 59°low 42°February, rain 6.5 incheshigh 63°low 44°March, rain 5.8 incheshigh 67°low 47°April, rain 2.9 incheshigh 75°low 51°May, rain 1.6 incheshigh 84°low 57°June, rain 0.5 incheshigh 93°low 64°July, rain 0.1 incheshigh 100°low 69°August, rain 0.1 incheshigh 98°low 67°September, rain 0.6 incheshigh 93°low 63°October, rain 2.3 incheshigh 81°low 55°November, rain 5.1 incheshigh 67°low 47°December, rain 7.4 incheshigh 59°low 43°wettest month December, 7.4 inches · 40.2 inches a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Overcast

Right now

69.4°

65°feels like
40%humidity
44°dew point
6 mphfrom S
UV index0.3
sunrise07:28sunset18:14day length10h 45m
SunOvercast73°44°
TodayClear71°49°
TueClear73°45°
WedClear76°45°
ThuOvercast70°49°
FriOvercast72°53°
SatOvercast65°48°

On this date: October 26

Today (forecast)
73° / 44°
Average for October 26
77° / 53°

High below average · −3.7°F

  • Highest since 1940: 97.4° · 2003
  • Lowest since 1940: 43.9° · 1969
  • One year ago: 65° / 56°

Every October 26 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 26 on record (n = 86). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for Chico is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 39.73°N, 121.84°W, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
39.73°N, 121.84°W
Time zone
America/Los Angeles
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

17 of the last 30 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: +2.7°F.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

The year peaks in July, at around 99.7°F by mid-afternoon, with nights around 68.9°F. In a typical recent year, around 150 days reach 86°F or more. In January, the coolest month, afternoons reach about 59.2°F and nights dip to 42.4°F. Freezing temperatures almost never occur.

In total, Chico averages about 40.2 inches of precipitation a year; December is usually the wettest month (7.4 inches) and July the driest (0.1 inches).

Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Chico has risen by 4.9°F between its first decade and its last. You can follow the shift year by year in the charts below.

Climate graph (climograph)

July is the warmest month, January the coolest: a yearly swing of 35°F. Wettest month: December (~7.4 in). Whole year averages ~40.2 inches of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 64 rainy days a year: most in March (~10), fewest in July (almost none).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 0.08 in per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

Chico month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Highest and Lowest are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightHighestLowest
January59.2°42.4°7.3 in109.5 h79.9° (2014)20.3° (1949)
February63.4°44.5°6.5 in910.5 h86.8° (2022)20.1° (1949)
March67.4°46.8°5.8 in1011.7 h89.2° (2022)27.3° (1976)
April74.6°50.9°2.9 in613.1 h100.1° (2009)34.2° (1999)
May83.7°57.4°1.6 in414.2 h108.4° (2008)37.7° (2010)
June93.0°64.4°0.5 in214.8 h115.6° (1961)46.8° (1944)
July99.7°68.9°0.1 in014.5 h118.4° (1972)55.3° (1947)
August97.7°67.3°0.1 in013.6 h118.2° (1978)52.2° (1968)
September92.6°63.0°0.6 in112.2 h117.4° (2022)46.0° (1971)
October81.2°55.2°2.3 in410.9 h105.5° (2024)37.6° (1946)
November66.8°47.2°5.1 in89.8 h91.5° (1966)29.4° (1955)
December59.1°42.9°7.4 in109.2 h80.5° (1958)12.5° (1990)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by +4.9°F.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.52°F per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Jun–Aug is warming fastest: +0.66°F per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 86°F per year: 113.5 early in the record → 148.8 recently. Frost days: 7 → 1.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

Hottest day since 1940 in 1972, coldest in 1990: 118.4°F / 12.5°F.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~40.2 in/year on average. Last decade: +6% vs that average. Long-term trend: +0.09 in per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about Chico

Which is the warmest month in Chico?
On long-term average, the warmest month in Chico is July (mean daily temperature of about 84.2°F) and the coolest is January (about 48.9°F).
How does today's temperature in Chico compare to the historical average?
On October 26, 2026, Chico is forecast to reach a high of 72.9°F and a low of 44.4°F. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 76.6°F and a low of 53.0°F, so today's high is 3.7°F cooler than that average.
How much has Chico warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in Chico is about 4.9°F warmer.
How much does it rain in Chico?
Chico receives about 40.2 inches of precipitation per year on long-term average, with December typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in Chico?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Chico is about 65.0°F. The warmest month is July and the coolest is January.
What are the average temperatures in Chico by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in Chico (°F, full record since 1940): January 59°/42°, February 63°/44°, March 67°/47°, April 75°/51°, May 84°/57°, June 93°/64°, July 100°/69°, August 98°/67°, September 93°/63°, October 81°/55°, November 67°/47°, December 59°/43°.
What is the weather like in Chico in summer?
June to August is summer in Chico, and it is dry and really hot. Afternoons run 93–100°F and nights 64–69°F; July is the warmest month. Almost no rain.
What is the weather like in Chico in winter?
In winter, December through February, Chico is wet and fairly mild. Expect 59–63°F by day and 42–44°F at night, with January the coldest month. Rain is steady at around 7.1 inches a month, spread over roughly 10 days. It is the wettest season of the year.
What is the weather like in Chico in spring?
March to May is spring in Chico, and it is pleasantly warm. March starts at 67°F by day and 47°F at night; by May it is 84°F and 57°F. Rain eases through the season: 10 rainy days and 5.8 inches in March, 4 days and 1.6 inches in May.
What is the weather like in Chico in autumn?
September to November is autumn in Chico, and it is warm. It cools from 93°F by day and 63°F at night in September to 67°F and 47°F in November. Rain picks up through the season: 1 rainy day and 0.6 inches in September, 8 days and 5.1 inches in November.
How many days a year does it rain in Chico?
On long-term average, Chico has about 64 days a year with at least 0.08 inches of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 40.2 inches.

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