Tahoma, California climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Tahoma's normal year runs from 21°F December nights to 77°F July afternoons, with 37.7 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 6.3°C, December lows of −6°C, July highs of 25°C, 958 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationTahoma
- Station IDUSC00048760
- Location39.06°N 120.13°W
- Elevation6,315 ft (1,925 m)
- Population (census place)969
On October 23, the normal high in Tahoma is 55°F and the normal low 32°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Tahoma.
- Jan 37° 22°
- Feb 38° 22°
- Mar 43° 25°
- Apr 49° 27°
- May 58° 34°
- Jun 69° 40°
- Jul 77° 46°
- Aug 76° 46°
- Sep 69° 41°
- Oct 58° 34°
- Nov 45° 27°
- Dec 38° 21°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Tahoma each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 77°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 21°F. The most precipitation falls in February (6.90 in), the least in August (0.35 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F | 22°F | 29.7°F | 6.37 | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 38°F | 22°F | 29.8°F | 6.90 | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 43°F | 25°F | 33.8°F | 5.52 | – | <1 | 30 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 49°F | 27°F | 38.0°F | 2.78 | – | <1 | 25 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 58°F | 34°F | 45.7°F | 2.02 | – | <1 | 12 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 69°F | 40°F | 54.5°F | 0.84 | – | <1 | 2 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 77°F | 46°F | 61.5°F | 0.49 | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 76°F | 46°F | 61.0°F | 0.35 | – | <1 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 69°F | 41°F | 55.4°F | 0.60 | – | <1 | 2 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 58°F | 34°F | 45.7°F | 1.99 | – | <1 | 16 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 45°F | 27°F | 35.8°F | 3.40 | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h |
| December | 38°F | 21°F | 29.4°F | 6.47 | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 55°F | 32°F | 43.3°F | 37.73 | – | <1 | 200 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3°C | −6°C | −1.3°C | 162 mm |
| February | 3°C | −6°C | −1.2°C | 175 mm |
| March | 6°C | −4°C | 1.0°C | 140 mm |
| April | 9°C | −3°C | 3.3°C | 71 mm |
| May | 14°C | 1°C | 7.6°C | 51 mm |
| June | 20°C | 5°C | 12.5°C | 21 mm |
| July | 25°C | 8°C | 16.4°C | 12 mm |
| August | 25°C | 8°C | 16.1°C | 9 mm |
| September | 21°C | 5°C | 13.0°C | 15 mm |
| October | 14°C | 1°C | 7.6°C | 51 mm |
| November | 7°C | −3°C | 2.1°C | 86 mm |
| December | 3°C | −6°C | −1.4°C | 164 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Tahoe City (7 miles away), gets 179 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00048760; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Tahoma?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July, August and September.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00048760.
When is the last frost in Tahoma?
In Tahoma, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after June 4 in half of years and after June 20 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 3 in half of years and before September 17 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- June 41 year in 10 after June 20; 9 in 10 after May 19
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 31 year in 10 before September 17; 9 in 10 before October 16
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 120 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 153 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 15 in half of springs and before October 16 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Tahoma in zone 7a in ZIP code 96141, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in California · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00048760; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Tahoma?
In a normal year in Tahoma, a 90°F day is rare and 200 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 200a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 30high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00048760.
How sunny is Tahoma?
Over a year 85% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Tahoma, 5.1 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (95%) and December the cloudiest (69%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 73% | 2.4 |
| February | 72% | 3.2 |
| March | 73% | 4.4 |
| April | 77% | 5.8 |
| May | 82% | 7.1 |
| June | 92% | 8.3 |
| July | 95% | 8.3 |
| August | 95% | 7.4 |
| September | 93% | 5.9 |
| October | 87% | 4.2 |
| November | 77% | 2.7 |
| December | 69% | 2.0 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Tahoma need?
A normal year in Tahoma brings 7,907 heating degree days, 47% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 27 cooling degree days, 97% fewer than the median (908). Nine months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,108 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,094 | 0 |
| February | 987 | 0 |
| March | 967 | 0 |
| April | 812 | 0 |
| May | 598 | 0 |
| June | 318 | 2 |
| July | 126 | 17 |
| August | 133 | 7 |
| September | 291 | 1 |
| October | 598 | 0 |
| November | 878 | 0 |
| December | 1,105 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,907 | 27 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00048760. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Tahoma's climate compare?
Tahoma is warmer than 0 of the other 218 places with their own NOAA record in California, and wetter than 181. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 43.3°F is warmer than 13%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Tahoma is Dsb: continental, dry-summer, warm summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about Tahoma's climate
What is the coldest month in Tahoma?
December, with a normal high of 38°F and a normal low of 21°F. The warmest is July (77°F by day, 46°F at night).
Does it snow in Tahoma?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Tahoma's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Tahoe City (7 miles away), records 179 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Tahoma?
February, with 6.90 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is August with 0.35 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Tahoma in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Tahoma in zone 7a in ZIP code 96141, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Tahoma?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after June 4; in one year in ten it comes after June 20. Waiting until June 20 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- California climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Tahoe City, CA7 miles from this station, 43.9°F a year
- Glenbrook, NV10 miles from this station, 46.0°F a year
- South Lake Tahoe, CA13 miles from this station, 44.2°F a year
- Dagget Pass, NV14 miles from this station, 43.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made