Bucks Lake gets about 109 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 81°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 95% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around May 18; autumn frost returns near October 8.
A year in Bucks Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bucks Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bucks Lake’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Bucks Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from Canyon Dam, CA, 21 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bucks Lake’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 109 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Canyon Dam, CA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bucks Lake
96% 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 Canyon Dam, CA.
Living with Bucks Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by May 18 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 6.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bucks Lake from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (47%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bucks Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bucks Lake yet.
Climates most like Bucks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucks Lake, CA | 27° | 81° | 56" | 109" |
| Elkins, WV | 21° | 82° | 50" | 69" |
| Edinboro, PA | 18° | 81° | 47" | 114" |
| Randolph Town, MA | 20° | 83° | 51" | 70" |
| Chardon, OH | 18° | 81° | 45" | 114" |
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 Bucks Lake averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 Bucks Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bucks Lake’s place among California’s.
Bucks Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bucks Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Canyon Dam, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 27° | 10.1" | 28.5" | 11 | 22 | 30° – 40° |
| February | 45° | 26° | 9.6" | 22.3" | 11 | 20 | 29° – 41° |
| March | 49° | 28° | 8.5" | 17.1" | 11 | 19 | 32° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 4.4" | 7.3" | 9 | 5 | 37° – 46° |
| May | 63° | 38° | 2.9" | 0.5" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 45° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| July | 81° | 51° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| August | 81° | 50° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 76° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 64° | 38° | 2.8" | 0.8" | 5 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 31° | 5.5" | 7.1" | 8 | 4 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 42° | 27° | 10.8" | 25.6" | 12 | 18 | 32° – 38° |
| Year | 60° | 36° | 56.4" | 109.3" | 81 | 88 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 58°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bucks 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 Bucks Lake’s center.
- Snow: Canyon Dam, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Canyon Dam, CA, 21 miles from the town’s center, 790 ft lower; 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 Bucks Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Bucks Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 109 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bucks Lake in winter?
February nights average 26°. About 159 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Bucks Lake get?
About 109 inches in a normal winter at Canyon Dam, CA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 88 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bucks Lake?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 51°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Canyon Dam, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Bucks Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 143 frost-free days, at Canyon Dam, CA.
What growing zone is Bucks Lake in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bucks 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 Bucks Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bucks 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.