Photo: Shayan (USA) from San Jose, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0Bear Valley gets about 105 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 77°. December is the wettest month here, with about 49 times the rain of August. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 7; autumn frost returns near October 28.
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 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 28. Frost dates and degree days from Calaveras Big Trees, CA, 20 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bear Valley’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 105 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Calaveras Big Trees, CA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 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
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Calaveras Big Trees, CA.
Living with Bear Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bear Valley from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. 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 | 26° | 77° | 52" | 105" |
| Conneaut, OH | 21° | 80° | 42" | 111" |
| Edinboro, PA | 18° | 81° | 47" | 114" |
| Harpswell, ME | 15° | 78° | 49" | 84" |
| Busti, NY | 16° | 80° | 46" | 98" |
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 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Calaveras Big Trees, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 26° | 8.9" | 19.3" | 11 | 29° – 43° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 8.3" | 25.9" | 11 | 27° – 43° |
| March | 48° | 27° | 8.2" | 19.2" | 11 | 29° – 45° |
| April | 52° | 30° | 4.7" | 11.4" | 8 | 34° – 46° |
| May | 59° | 37° | 3.0" | 2.2" | 6 | 39° – 57° |
| June | 69° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 2 | 51° – 62° |
| July | 77° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| August | 76° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 59° – 67° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 2.8" | 0.3" | 4 | 45° – 57° |
| November | 50° | 31° | 5.0" | 7.7" | 7 | 30° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 26° | 9.3" | 18.7" | 11 | 29° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 52.1" | 104.8" | 74 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 57°. 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: Calaveras Big Trees, CA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Calaveras Big Trees, CA, 20 miles away.
- 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 77°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 105 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bear Valley in winter?
February nights average 25°. About 115 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Bear Valley get?
About 105 inches in a normal winter at Calaveras Big Trees, CA, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Bear Valley?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 52°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Calaveras Big Trees, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Bear Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 169 frost-free days, at Calaveras Big Trees, CA.
What growing zone is Bear Valley in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
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), June, July, August and September. 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 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% 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.