Upper Bear Creek gets about 130 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 99 U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 79°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. Garden chairs stay out from June to September, the months with highs of 70–79°.
A year in Upper Bear Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Upper Bear Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Upper Bear Creek’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Upper Bear Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 118 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 22. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bailey, CO, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Evergreen, CO, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Upper Bear Creek’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 130 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Inter Canyon, CO, is heaviest from March through April, about 26 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; April is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Upper Bear Creek
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Evergreen, CO.
Living with Upper Bear Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
118 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 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 Sep 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Upper Bear Creek from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (70%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Upper Bear Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Upper Bear Creek yet.
Climates most like Upper Bear Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Bear Creek, CO | 16° | 79° | 20" | 130" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
| Traverse City, MI | 17° | 79° | 32" | 101" |
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 Upper Bear Creek averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 Upper Bear Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Upper Bear Creek’s place among Colorado’s.
Upper Bear Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Upper Bear Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Inter Canyon, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 16° | 0.7" | 15.0" | 6 | 29 | 22° – 34° |
| February | 41° | 17° | 0.9" | 16.9" | 7 | 28 | 23° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 23° | 1.9" | 26.5" | 8 | 25 | 30° – 41° |
| April | 53° | 28° | 2.7" | 25.1" | 10 | 18 | 36° – 46° |
| May | 62° | 36° | 2.6" | 5.8" | 12 | 3 | 44° – 53° |
| June | 74° | 44° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| July | 79° | 50° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| August | 77° | 48° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| September | 70° | 41° | 1.6" | 1.2" | 9 | 1 | 51° – 60° |
| October | 59° | 31° | 1.4" | 7.4" | 7 | 4 | 38° – 50° |
| November | 48° | 23° | 0.9" | 14.8" | 6 | 16 | 27° – 42° |
| December | 40° | 16° | 0.8" | 17.0" | 6 | 24 | 22° – 33° |
| Year | 58° | 31° | 19.9" | 129.7" | 110 | 148 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 42°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Upper Bear Creek’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 Upper Bear Creek’s center.
- Snow: Inter Canyon, CO.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Evergreen, CO, 5 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Bailey, CO, 16 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 Upper Bear Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Upper Bear Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 130 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Upper Bear Creek in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 235 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Upper Bear Creek get?
About 130 inches in a normal winter at Inter Canyon, CO, heaviest from March through April, about 26 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 148 days a year.
How hot does it get in Upper Bear Creek?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Evergreen, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Upper Bear Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 118 frost-free days, at Evergreen, CO.
What growing zone is Upper Bear Creek in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Upper Bear Creek?
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 Upper Bear Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Upper Bear Creek.
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.