Bear Lake gets about 92 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 79°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Bear Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bear Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bear Lake’s place in Michigan beside it.
What a year in Bear Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Beulah 7ssw, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bear Lake’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 92 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Beulah 7ssw, MI, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 35 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 161 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bear Lake
94% 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 Beulah 7ssw, MI.
Living with Bear Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 7 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bear Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 30%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bear Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bear Lake yet.
Climates most like Bear Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Lake, MI | 15° | 79° | 35" | 92" |
| Ontario, NY | 18° | 80° | 36" | 86" |
| Burlington, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 86" |
| Ashtabula, OH | 22° | 80° | 41" | 90" |
| Bradford, PA | 15° | 80° | 44" | 75" |
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 Bear Lake averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Bear Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bear Lake’s place among Michigan’s.
Bear Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bear Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Beulah 7ssw, MI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 15° | 2.4" | 26.8" | 19 | 27 | 12° – 30° |
| February | 30° | 16° | 1.6" | 20.2" | 14 | 27 | 11° – 33° |
| March | 40° | 23° | 2.1" | 11.2" | 11 | 18 | 22° – 46° |
| April | 53° | 32° | 3.2" | 3.5" | 12 | 3 | 34° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 79° | 58° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| August | 77° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 39° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 16 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 44° | 30° | 3.1" | 7.7" | 15 | 5 | 29° – 44° |
| December | 33° | 21° | 2.4" | 22.9" | 17 | 20 | 20° – 36° |
| Year | 54° | 36° | 35.0" | 92.4" | 161 | 100 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bear Lake’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 Bear Lake’s center.
- Snow: Beulah 7ssw, MI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Beulah 7ssw, MI, 8 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Bear Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Bear Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 92 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bear Lake in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 146 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Bear Lake get?
About 92 inches in a normal winter at Beulah 7ssw, MI, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 100 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bear Lake?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 58°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Beulah 7ssw, MI).
When is the first and last frost in Bear Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 163 frost-free days, at Beulah 7ssw, MI.
What growing zone is Bear Lake in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bear Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bear Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bear Lake.
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.