Dry weather: only 23 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Bear Flat, less than in 88% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 24°. A year here swings 67° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 77% of U.S. towns. If you like long walks, May and September offer highs of 77–83°.
A year in Bear Flat at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bear Flat’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bear Flat’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Bear Flat feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pleasant Valley, AZ, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bear Flat’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pleasant Valley, AZ, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 56 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bear Flat
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Pleasant Valley, AZ.
Living with Bear Flat’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by May 6 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bear Flat from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bear Flat and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bear Flat yet.
Climates most like Bear Flat’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Flat, AZ | 24° | 90° | 23" | 8.5" |
| Yreka, CA | 29° | 91° | 20" | 12" |
| Plainview, TX | 26° | 92° | 19" | 8.2" |
| Clovis, NM | 24° | 91° | 17" | 13" |
| Milton-Freewater, OR | 30° | 90° | 17" | 7.2" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bear Flat averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Bear Flat compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bear Flat’s place among Arizona’s.
Bear Flat weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bear Flat’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pleasant Valley, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 24° | 2.9" | 1.2" | 5 | 0 | 34° – 45° |
| February | 55° | 26° | 2.8" | 4.2" | 6 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| March | 61° | 31° | 2.3" | 2.0" | 4 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| April | 68° | 35° | 0.8" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| May | 77° | 42° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 87° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 90° | 58° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| August | 87° | 58° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| September | 83° | 51° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| October | 73° | 40° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| November | 61° | 30° | 1.6" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 53° |
| December | 52° | 23° | 2.3" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 34° – 43° |
| Year | 71° | 39° | 22.8" | 8.5" | 56 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bear Flat’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Bear Flat’s center.
- Snow: Pleasant Valley, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pleasant Valley, AZ, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Bear Flat’s climate
What is the weather like in Bear Flat?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bear Flat in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 157 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Bear Flat get?
About 8.5 inches in a normal winter at Pleasant Valley, AZ, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bear Flat?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 58°. About 52 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Pleasant Valley, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Bear Flat?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 165 frost-free days, at Pleasant Valley, AZ.
What growing zone is Bear Flat in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bear Flat?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bear Flat getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bear Flat.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.