Bear Creek reaches 100° on about 16 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 39°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 87% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 17 to November 13.
A year in Bear Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bear Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bear Creek’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Bear Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 242 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 17 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dripping Springs 6 E, TX, 4 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bear Creek’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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 36 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 80 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Dripping Springs 6 E, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bear Creek
40% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Dripping Springs 6 E, TX.
Living with Bear Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
242 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 17 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bear Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bear Creek and its neighbors
Austin has the coldest January nights next door (38°, 1° colder) and Austin the hottest July afternoons (96°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek, TX | 39° | 95° | 36" | 0.3" |
| Chico, CA | 38° | 96° | 31" | 0.0" |
| Ardmore, OK | 31° | 94° | 39" | 2.7" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bear Creek averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bear Creek’s place among Texas’.
Bear Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bear Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dripping Springs 6 E, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 39° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| February | 65° | 43° | 2.1" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| March | 72° | 50° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| April | 79° | 56° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| May | 85° | 65° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| June | 92° | 71° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| July | 95° | 73° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 79° – 87° |
| August | 96° | 72° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 79° – 89° |
| September | 90° | 67° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| October | 81° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| November | 70° | 48° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| December | 63° | 41° | 2.5" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| Year | 79° | 57° | 35.5" | 0.3" | 80 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 62°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where 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 Bear Creek’s center.
- Snow: Dripping Springs 6 E, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dripping Springs 6 E, TX, 4 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher; 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 Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Bear Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bear Creek in winter?
January nights average 39°. About 29 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Bear Creek get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Dripping Springs 6 E, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bear Creek?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 73°. About 106 days a year reach 90° and 16 reach 100° (Dripping Springs 6 E, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Bear Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 17 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 242 frost-free days, at Dripping Springs 6 E, TX.
What growing zone is Bear Creek in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bear Creek?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bear Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in 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.