Climate - Needles (California)

The climate of Needles is sub-tropical desert, with mild winters and very hot summers, and sun that shines all year round.
The town is located in southeastern California, in San Bernardino County, on the border with Nevada and Arizona. We are in Mohave Valley, crossed by the Colorado River, which is one of the hottest areas of North America (probably the hottest after Death Valley), since it is located at low altitude and at a considerable distance from the sea.
On the hottest days of the year, the temperature generally reaches 48/49 °C (118/120 °F). Fortunately, the humidity in these periods is very low. Sometimes, the temperature can exceed 50 °C (122 °F): in June 2013, it reached 50.6 °C (123 °F), and in June 2016 and 2017, as high as 51.7 °C (125 °F). Even at night, it continues to be hot: the minimum can remain above 30 °C (86 °F). In July 2006, there was a day with a minimum temperature of 37.8 °C (100 °F).
On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature generally drops to around 0 °C (32 °F). But in December 1990, it went down to -6.7 °C (20 °F).
The average temperature of the coldest month (December) is of 11.6 °C (53 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 35.9 °C (97 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 115 millimeters (4.5 inches) per year: it is therefore at a desert level. It ranges from 0 mm (0 in) in the driest months (May, June) to 20 mm (0.8 in) in the wettest ones (January, February). Here is the average precipitation.

On average, there are around 3,900 sunshine hours per year. Therefore, the sun shines very often. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Best Time

The best time to visit Needles is from November to March. Winter, from December to February, is generally a mild and sunny season, although it can sometimes rain, or it can get a bit cold (especially in December and January). You can therefore choose the months of March and November.

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