Kings Beach gets about 179 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 31 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 179 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Kings Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kings Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kings Beach’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Kings Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Incline Village, NV, 4 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kings Beach’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 179 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tahoe City, CA, is heaviest from January through February, about 40 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 77 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kings Beach
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Incline Village, NV.
Living with Kings Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 17 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 20 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kings Beach from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (86%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kings Beach and its neighbors
Tahoe Vista has the coldest January nights next door (19°, 2° colder) and Tahoe Vista the hottest July afternoons (81°, 8° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Kings Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Beach, CA | 21° | 73° | 30" | 179" |
| Petoskey, MI | 16° | 76° | 35" | 124" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
| Oswego, NY | 17° | 79° | 42" | 140" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Kings Beach averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 62% 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 Kings Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kings Beach’s place among California’s.
Kings Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kings Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tahoe City, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 21° | 5.0" | 37.9" | 11 | 27 | 23° – 36° |
| February | 39° | 21° | 4.7" | 41.3" | 10 | 24 | 22° – 37° |
| March | 43° | 24° | 4.3" | 34.7" | 10 | 26 | 26° – 39° |
| April | 47° | 27° | 2.2" | 14.0" | 8 | 14 | 31° – 42° |
| May | 55° | 34° | 1.7" | 2.8" | 7 | 2 | 36° – 51° |
| June | 65° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| July | 73° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| August | 72° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| September | 66° | 42° | 0.5" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| October | 55° | 34° | 1.6" | 2.4" | 4 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| November | 44° | 27° | 2.8" | 9.4" | 7 | 7 | 26° – 42° |
| December | 37° | 21° | 5.1" | 36.2" | 11 | 24 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 29.6" | 179.0" | 77 | 124 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 42°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Kings Beach’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 Kings Beach’s center.
- Snow: Tahoe City, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Incline Village, NV, 4 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 Kings Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Kings Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 179 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 139 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kings Beach in winter?
February nights average 21°. About 151 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Kings Beach get?
About 179 inches in a normal winter at Tahoe City, CA, heaviest from January through February, about 40 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 124 days a year.
How hot does it get in Kings Beach?
July, with a typical high of 73°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Incline Village, NV.
When is the first and last frost in Kings Beach?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 148 frost-free days, at Incline Village, NV.
What growing zone is Kings Beach in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kings Beach?
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 Kings Beach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kings Beach.
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.