Photo: BigBearCabins · CC BY-SA 4.0Big Bear Lake’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Big Bear Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Bear Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Bear Lake’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Big Bear Lake 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, 1.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Bear Lake’s center in zone 7a: 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 24 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 Lake
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 Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
131 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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. 6.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Bear Lake from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (60%); 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 Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Bear Lake yet.
Climates most like Big Bear 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
| Moscow, ID | 25° | 84° | 25" | 51" |
| Bigfork, MT | 19° | 82° | 19" | 51" |
| Porter, NY | 21° | 79° | 33" | 55" |
| Liberty Lake, WA | 25° | 84° | 22" | 45" |
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 Lake averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Bear Lake’s place among California’s.
Big Bear Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Bear Lake’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 | 48° | 25° | 5.1" | 13.4" | 7 | 32° – 43° |
| February | 48° | 25° | 5.6" | 14.3" | 7 | 28° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 28° | 3.3" | 11.7" | 6 | 32° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 4 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 38° | 0.6" | 0.6" | 2 | 45° – 58° |
| June | 75° | 46° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 55° – 64° |
| July | 80° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 79° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 63° – 68° |
| September | 74° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 57° – 63° |
| October | 64° | 38° | 1.0" | 1.2" | 2 | 47° – 56° |
| November | 55° | 30° | 1.5" | 3.4" | 3 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 47° | 25° | 3.7" | 11.0" | 6 | 32° – 41° |
| Year | 62° | 36° | 24.0" | 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 28° to 43°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Big Bear 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 Big Bear Lake’s center.
- Snow: Big Bear Lake, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Bear Lake, CA, 1.3 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 Big Bear Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Bear Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Bear Lake in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Big Bear Lake 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 Lake?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 52°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Big Bear Lake, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Big Bear Lake?
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 Lake in?
Zone 7a 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 Lake?
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 Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Bear 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.