Photo: Bishopvisitor · CC BY-SA 4.0Bishop reaches 100° on about 29 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 26°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of almost every U.S. town. Warming shows here too: 1.6° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 29 to October 15.
A year in Bishop at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bishop’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bishop’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Bishop feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bishop Airport, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bishop’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 rain a year
January is the wettest month and September the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bishop
77% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Bishop Airport.
Living with Bishop’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and October. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bishop from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bishop and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bishop yet.
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 Bishop averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Bishop compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bishop’s place among California’s.
Bishop weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bishop’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 26° | 0.7" | 32° – 46° |
| February | 57° | 29° | 0.6" | 37° – 51° |
| March | 65° | 34° | 0.5" | 42° – 56° |
| April | 71° | 39° | 0.3" | 50° – 60° |
| May | 81° | 47° | 0.3" | 55° – 69° |
| June | 91° | 55° | 0.1" | 66° – 78° |
| July | 98° | 61° | 0.3" | 75° – 83° |
| August | 96° | 58° | 0.2" | 74° – 81° |
| September | 88° | 51° | 0.1" | 65° – 74° |
| October | 76° | 41° | 0.4" | 54° – 63° |
| November | 62° | 31° | 0.3" | 38° – 53° |
| December | 53° | 25° | 0.4" | 35° – 43° |
| Year | 74° | 41° | 4.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bishop’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 Bishop’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bishop Airport, 2.2 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 Bishop’s climate
What is the weather like in Bishop?
A typical July afternoon reaches 98°, a January night drops to 26°. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bishop in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How hot does it get in Bishop?
July, with a typical high of 98° and a low of 61°. About 104 days a year reach 90° and 29 reach 100° (Bishop Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Bishop?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 166 frost-free days, at Bishop Airport.
What growing zone is Bishop in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bishop?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bishop getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bishop.
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.