Bear Creek reaches 100° on about 23 days a year, more than 96% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 38°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 96% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from December to January, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Bear Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bear Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bear Creek’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Bear Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 273 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 26 and the first by November 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Merced Muni Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bear Creek’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 12 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 52 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Merced, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bear Creek
62% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Merced Muni Airport.
Living with Bear Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
273 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 26 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bear Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bear Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bear Creek yet.
Climates most like Bear Creek’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 Creek, CA | 38° | 96° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Fort Stockton, TX | 33° | 96° | 13" | 1.4" |
| Anthony, NM | 31° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Creek averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bear Creek’s place among California’s.
Bear Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bear Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Merced, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 38° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| February | 62° | 41° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| March | 68° | 44° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| May | 82° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 75° |
| June | 90° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 96° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| August | 94° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| September | 90° | 58° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| October | 79° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| November | 65° | 43° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 38° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| Year | 76° | 50° | 12.0" | 0.0" | 52 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 60° to 75°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bear Creek’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 Creek’s center.
- Snow: Merced, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Merced Muni Airport, 5 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 Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Bear Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bear Creek in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Bear Creek get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Merced, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bear Creek?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 63°. About 100 days a year reach 90° and 23 reach 100° (Merced Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Bear Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 26 and the first fall frost by November 25, about 273 frost-free days, at Merced Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Bear Creek in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bear Creek?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bear Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bear Creek.
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.