Photo: Mark Miller · CC BY-SA 3.0South Lake Tahoe gets about 179 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 31 U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 81°. Winter and summer sit 60° apart. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 90% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to May, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in South Lake Tahoe at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Lake Tahoe’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Lake Tahoe’s place in California beside it.
What a year in South Lake Tahoe feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 222 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 5 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at South Lake Tahoe Airport, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Lake Tahoe’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 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 19 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 South Lake Tahoe
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 South Lake Tahoe Airport.
Living with South Lake Tahoe’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 6b, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 63 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 17 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Lake Tahoe 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 →South Lake Tahoe and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of South Lake Tahoe in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Lake Tahoe’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Evergreen, CO | 16° | 81° | 19" | 130" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 South Lake Tahoe averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 South Lake Tahoe compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Lake Tahoe’s place among California’s.
South Lake Tahoe weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Lake Tahoe’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 | 44° | 22° | 3.1" | 37.9" | 11 | 27 | 26° – 39° |
| February | 45° | 23° | 3.1" | 41.3" | 10 | 24 | 27° – 42° |
| March | 50° | 26° | 2.6" | 34.7" | 10 | 26 | 30° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.3" | 14.0" | 8 | 14 | 36° – 47° |
| May | 64° | 36° | 1.1" | 2.8" | 7 | 2 | 42° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 41° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| July | 81° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| August | 81° | 46° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| September | 74° | 41° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 61° |
| October | 63° | 33° | 1.3" | 2.4" | 4 | 1 | 44° – 53° |
| November | 51° | 27° | 1.8" | 9.4" | 7 | 7 | 29° – 45° |
| December | 43° | 22° | 3.2" | 36.2" | 11 | 24 | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 60° | 33° | 19.1" | 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 29° to 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where South Lake Tahoe’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 South Lake Tahoe’s center.
- Snow: Tahoe City, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: South Lake Tahoe 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 South Lake Tahoe’s climate
What is the weather like in South Lake Tahoe?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 179 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Lake Tahoe in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 222 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does South Lake Tahoe 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 South Lake Tahoe?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 47°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (South Lake Tahoe Airport).
When is the first and last frost in South Lake Tahoe?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at South Lake Tahoe Airport, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 222 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 63 days.
What growing zone is South Lake Tahoe in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Lake Tahoe?
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 South Lake Tahoe getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Lake Tahoe.
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.