Northern California natives have always loved the town of Truckee. The area gets tons of snow– making it a great place to ski and snowboard, and the town itself has a lot of shops and restaurants. So when the weather report says there will be snow in Truckee, it’s not at all surprising for this mountainous area. However, back in 1990 Truckee experienced one of the coldest days in recent history.
On December 20, 1990 Truckee temperatures reached minus 20 Fahrenheit.
Just for reference, the average temperature range in Truckee in December is 40 during the day and 25 at night.
Temperatures in Truckee are usually some of the coldest Northern experiences throughout the year.
Since the state has many elevations, climates, and micro-climates, each area might see drastic differences in weather.
When temperatures reach the negative range during the day, it’s record-breaking, even in many of the popular snowy areas of Northern California.
In January of 1937, the area of Boca, just east of Truckee, experienced the coldest temperature recorded in California– minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Truckee experienced several days of record-breaking cold temperatures, too that year.
On January 21, 1937 Truckee recorded minus 28 degrees Fahrenheit. An absolutely freezing day for the area! It has only happened twice in recorded history– first in 1917 and most recently in 1937.
Truckee and the surrounding areas have experienced many cold days, but the most recent record-breaking day was in 1990.
Before that it was February 7 and 8, 1989, measuring minus 22 and minus 20, respectively.
As of writing (Feb. 26), California is currently experiencing a snow storm. It’s snowing in places it hasn’t snowed for decades, and for the first time in some areas.
No doubt the snow storm of 2023 will go down in the history books, but so far temperatures in Truckee are not as cold as they were in 1937.
Typically the coldest months in California are December, January, and February. We might be past the coldest temperatures, but unexpected weather may still set some historical records.
What is the coldest weather you’ve personally experienced in California? Tell us in the comments.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!