Squaw Valley reaches 100° on about 15 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 39°.
A year in Squaw Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Squaw Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Squaw Valley’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Squaw Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 294 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 23 and the first by December 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Balch Pwr House, CA, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Squaw Valley’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 21 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Squaw Valley
62% 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 Balch Pwr House, CA.
Living with Squaw Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
294 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 23 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Squaw Valley from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Squaw Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Squaw Valley 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 Squaw Valley averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 76% 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 Squaw Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Squaw Valley’s place among California’s.
Squaw Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Squaw Valley’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 39° | 4.1" | 44° – 55° |
| February | 60° | 41° | 3.9" | 45° – 57° |
| March | 65° | 43° | 3.5" | 45° – 61° |
| April | 70° | 46° | 1.9" | 52° – 63° |
| May | 80° | 53° | 0.9" | 56° – 74° |
| June | 89° | 60° | 0.2" | 66° – 79° |
| July | 97° | 68° | 0.0" | 78° – 86° |
| August | 96° | 67° | 0.0" | 78° – 85° |
| September | 90° | 63° | 0.1" | 72° – 80° |
| October | 78° | 54° | 1.0" | 61° – 72° |
| November | 65° | 45° | 1.7" | 46° – 61° |
| December | 56° | 39° | 3.5" | 44° – 52° |
| Year | 75° | 51° | 20.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 74°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Squaw Valley’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 Squaw Valley’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Balch Pwr House, CA, 15 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 Squaw Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Squaw Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 39°. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Squaw Valley in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 15 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How hot does it get in Squaw Valley?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 68°. About 90 days a year reach 90° and 15 reach 100° (Balch Pwr House, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Squaw Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 23 and the first fall frost by December 12, about 294 frost-free days, at Balch Pwr House, CA.
What growing zone is Squaw Valley in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Squaw Valley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Squaw Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Squaw Valley.
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.