Chapel of the Transfiguration · Photo: Dicklyon · CC BY-SA 4.0Sunnyside-Tahoe City gets about 179 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 31 U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 76°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in December and the lightest in July. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about June 9, with the first autumn frost due around September 25.
A year in Sunnyside-Tahoe City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sunnyside-Tahoe City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sunnyside-Tahoe City’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Sunnyside-Tahoe City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 108 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 9 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tahoe City, CA, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sunnyside-Tahoe City’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 48 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July 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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Tahoe City, CA.
Living with Sunnyside-Tahoe City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
108 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Jun 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sunnyside-Tahoe City from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (79%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sunnyside-Tahoe City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sunnyside-Tahoe City yet.
Climates most like Sunnyside-Tahoe City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA | 23° | 76° | 48" | 179" |
| Boston, NY | 15° | 79° | 45" | 168" |
| North Madison, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 114" |
| Corry, PA | 16° | 80° | 47" | 114" |
| Petoskey, MI | 16° | 76° | 35" | 124" |
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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sunnyside-Tahoe City’s place among California’s.
Sunnyside-Tahoe City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sunnyside-Tahoe City’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 | 42° | 23° | 8.5" | 37.9" | 11 | 27 | 26° – 39° |
| February | 42° | 23° | 7.7" | 41.3" | 10 | 24 | 25° – 40° |
| March | 46° | 26° | 7.0" | 34.7" | 10 | 26 | 29° – 42° |
| April | 51° | 28° | 3.3" | 14.0" | 8 | 14 | 33° – 44° |
| May | 59° | 35° | 2.5" | 2.8" | 7 | 2 | 38° – 54° |
| June | 68° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| July | 76° | 48° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| August | 76° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| September | 70° | 43° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| October | 59° | 35° | 2.8" | 2.4" | 4 | 1 | 43° – 53° |
| November | 48° | 28° | 5.0" | 9.4" | 7 | 7 | 29° – 45° |
| December | 41° | 23° | 8.8" | 36.2" | 11 | 24 | 27° – 38° |
| Year | 56° | 33° | 47.5" | 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 8°.
Where Sunnyside-Tahoe City’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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City’s center.
- Snow: Tahoe City, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tahoe City, CA, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City’s climate
What is the weather like in Sunnyside-Tahoe City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 179 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sunnyside-Tahoe City in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 198 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Sunnyside-Tahoe City 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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Tahoe City, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Sunnyside-Tahoe City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 9 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 108 frost-free days, at Tahoe City, CA.
What growing zone is Sunnyside-Tahoe City in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sunnyside-Tahoe City?
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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sunnyside-Tahoe City.
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.