Photo: Magi Media (originally uploaded on en.wikipedia.org by Magi Media; transferred to Commons by JaumeBG). · Public domainBig Bear City’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Big Bear City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Bear City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Bear City’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Big Bear City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 131 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 27 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Big Bear Lake, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Bear City’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 59 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Big Bear Lake, CA, is heaviest from January through February, about 14 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 43 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Bear City
98% 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 Big Bear Lake, CA.
Living with Big Bear City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
131 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 27 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 125 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Bear City from natural hazards, river flooding 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 →Big Bear City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Bear City yet.
Climates most like Big Bear City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear City, CA | 27° | 81° | 18" | 59" |
| Airway Heights, WA | 24° | 84° | 17" | 45" |
| Bigfork, MT | 19° | 82° | 19" | 51" |
| Moscow, ID | 25° | 84° | 25" | 51" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
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 Big Bear City averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Big Bear City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Bear City’s place among California’s.
Big Bear City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Bear City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Big Bear Lake, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 27° | 3.7" | 13.4" | 7 | 32° – 44° |
| February | 48° | 27° | 4.0" | 14.3" | 7 | 30° – 45° |
| March | 53° | 30° | 2.4" | 11.7" | 6 | 33° – 48° |
| April | 59° | 34° | 0.9" | 3.0" | 4 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 0.4" | 0.6" | 2 | 46° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 48° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 56° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 63° – 70° |
| August | 80° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 64° – 70° |
| September | 75° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 65° | 39° | 0.6" | 1.2" | 2 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 31° | 1.2" | 3.4" | 3 | 36° – 49° |
| December | 48° | 26° | 2.7" | 11.0" | 6 | 33° – 42° |
| Year | 63° | 38° | 18.0" | 58.6" | 43 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Big Bear City’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 Big Bear City’s center.
- Snow: Big Bear Lake, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Bear Lake, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower; 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 Big Bear City’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Bear City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Bear City in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Big Bear City get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter at Big Bear Lake, CA, heaviest from January through February, about 14 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Big Bear City?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 54°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Big Bear Lake, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Big Bear City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 27 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 131 frost-free days, at Big Bear Lake, CA.
What growing zone is Big Bear City 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 Big Bear City?
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 Big Bear City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Bear City.
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.