Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0July in Bear Valley runs hotter than in 91% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 36°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 58°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 86% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, April, May and October bring highs of 66–75°.
A year in Bear Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bear Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bear Valley’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Bear Valley 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 22 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from Groveland 2, CA, 19 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bear Valley’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Groveland 2, CA, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 28 inches a year; January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 66 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bear Valley
84% 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 Groveland 2, CA.
Living with Bear Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bear Valley from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bear Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bear Valley yet.
Climates most like Bear Valley’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 Valley, CA | 36° | 93° | 28" | 3.8" |
| Fredericksburg, TX | 35° | 94° | 30" | 0.2" |
| Eagle Point, OR | 32° | 92° | 23" | 3.4" |
| Duncan, OK | 29° | 95° | 35" | 2.8" |
| Nogales, AZ | 30° | 93° | 16" | 0.3" |
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 Valley averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bear Valley’s place among California’s.
Bear Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bear Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Groveland 2, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 36° | 5.5" | 0.6" | 10 | 1 | 42° – 52° |
| February | 57° | 37° | 4.8" | 0.6" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| March | 61° | 39° | 4.6" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 42° – 57° |
| April | 66° | 42° | 2.4" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 70° |
| June | 86° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| July | 93° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 92° | 60° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 87° | 56° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 75° | 49° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| November | 62° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.5" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 35° | 5.1" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| Year | 72° | 46° | 27.9" | 3.8" | 66 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 70°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bear Valley’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 Valley’s center.
- Snow: Groveland 2, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Groveland 2, CA, 19 miles from the town’s center, 560 ft higher; 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 Bear Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Bear Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bear Valley in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 91 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Bear Valley get?
About 3.8 inches in a normal winter at Groveland 2, CA, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bear Valley?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 61°. About 59 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Groveland 2, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Bear Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 192 frost-free days, at Groveland 2, CA.
What growing zone is Bear Valley in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bear Valley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bear Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bear Valley.
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.