Precipitation in Bass Lake trails that of 86% of U.S. towns: 29 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 92°. Its July heat outdoes that of 85% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Bass Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bass Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bass Lake’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Bass Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from N Fk Rs, CA, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bass Lake’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Coarsegold 1 Sw, CA, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 29 inches a year; January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 51 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bass Lake
75% of the work is heating. 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 N Fk Rs, CA.
Living with Bass Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and October. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bass Lake from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bass Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bass Lake yet.
Climates most like Bass Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass Lake, CA | 34° | 92° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
| Fredericksburg, TX | 35° | 94° | 30" | 0.2" |
| Mustang, OK | 28° | 93° | 36" | 4.1" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
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 Bass Lake averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Bass Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bass Lake’s place among California’s.
Bass Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bass Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Coarsegold 1 Sw, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 34° | 5.9" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| February | 55° | 34° | 5.0" | 0.6" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 52° |
| March | 59° | 37° | 4.7" | 1.4" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 55° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 46° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 68° |
| June | 83° | 54° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| July | 92° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 91° | 60° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 85° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 74° | 46° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 62° | 38° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 41° – 56° |
| December | 54° | 33° | 4.9" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 39° – 48° |
| Year | 71° | 45° | 28.9" | 2.5" | 51 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bass Lake’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 Bass Lake’s center.
- Snow: Coarsegold 1 Sw, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: N Fk Rs, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 830 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Bass Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Bass Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bass Lake in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 89 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Bass Lake get?
About 2.5 inches in a normal winter at Coarsegold 1 Sw, CA, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bass Lake?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 61°. About 89 days a year reach 90° and 18 reach 100° (N Fk Rs, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Bass Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 192 frost-free days, at N Fk Rs, CA.
What growing zone is Bass Lake in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bass Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bass Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bass Lake.
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.