Sugar Pine Point State Park · Photo: DimiTalen · CC BY-SA 3.0Tahoma gets about 179 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 31 U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 80°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 93% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.2° rise. Tender plants can go out after about June 4; in half of years the first frost comes by October 3.
A year in Tahoma at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tahoma’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tahoma’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Tahoma feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 120 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 4 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tahoma, CA, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tahoma’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 39 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 Tahoma
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 Tahoma, CA.
Living with Tahoma’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
120 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Jun 4 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tahoma from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (52%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tahoma and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tahoma yet.
Climates most like Tahoma’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tahoma, CA | 22° | 80° | 39" | 179" |
| Eden, NY | 17° | 81° | 41" | 168" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
| North Madison, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 114" |
| Edinboro, PA | 18° | 81° | 47" | 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 Tahoma averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Tahoma compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tahoma’s place among California’s.
Tahoma weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tahoma’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 | 43° | 22° | 6.9" | 37.9" | 11 | 27 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 45° | 23° | 6.3" | 41.3" | 10 | 24 | 27° – 42° |
| March | 49° | 25° | 5.8" | 34.7" | 10 | 26 | 30° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 28° | 3.2" | 14.0" | 8 | 14 | 34° – 46° |
| May | 62° | 34° | 2.2" | 2.8" | 7 | 2 | 40° – 56° |
| June | 71° | 40° | 0.7" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| July | 80° | 46° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| August | 79° | 45° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| September | 73° | 40° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| October | 62° | 33° | 2.4" | 2.4" | 4 | 1 | 43° – 53° |
| November | 50° | 27° | 3.9" | 9.4" | 7 | 7 | 29° – 45° |
| December | 43° | 22° | 6.9" | 36.2" | 11 | 24 | 27° – 38° |
| Year | 59° | 32° | 39.3" | 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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Tahoma’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 Tahoma’s center.
- Snow: Tahoe City, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tahoma, CA, 0.7 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 Tahoma’s climate
What is the weather like in Tahoma?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, 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 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tahoma in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 200 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Tahoma 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 Tahoma?
July, with a typical high of 80°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Tahoma, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Tahoma?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 4 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 120 frost-free days, at Tahoma, CA.
What growing zone is Tahoma 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 Tahoma?
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 Tahoma getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tahoma.
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.