South Lake Tahoe climate — normals and trends
South Lake Tahoe (United States) has a warm-summer mediterranean continental climate (Dsb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 6.7 °C and it receives 854 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is July (17.9 °C on average) and the coldest is January (-1.7 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
South Lake Tahoe averages 177 frost days, 7 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 90 rainy days per year.
South Lake Tahoe has warmed by +2.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.32 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The number of frost days there went from about 203 to 151 per year over the period.
The hottest day of the period reached 35.5 °C (on 10 July 2002) and the coldest -23.5 °C (on 22 December 1990).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
South Lake TahoeCalifornia
- coords
- 38.93°, -119.98°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
6.7°C
Average daily high
12.9°C
Average daily low
1.1°C
Annual rainfall
854mm
Sunshine / day
10.8h
Mean relative humidity
64%
Average peak wind
11.8km/h
Seasonal range
19.6°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
177 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
7 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
90 d/yr
Annual snowfall
434.8 cm
Average feels-like high
10.4 °C
Average feels-like low
-1.9 °C
Average peak gust
42.1 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
0 d/yr
Solar radiation
19.7 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+2.7 °C
since 1940
+0.3 °C per decade · r² = 0.69 · p = < 0.001
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
35.5 °C
10 July 2002
Coldest day
-23.5 °C
22 December 1990
Wettest day
99 mm
31 December 2022
Windiest day
33.3 km/h
22 January 1993
Strongest gust
144.7 km/h
23 December 1955
Hottest feels-like
35.9 °C
10 July 2002
Coldest feels-like
-28.5 °C
7 February 1989
Snowiest day
58.6 cm
21 January 1967
Sunniest day
14.1 h
20 June 2025
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.0 °C | +1.4 °C | 33 mm | -109 mm |
| Feb | 5.9 °C | +2.1 °C | 208 mm | +82 mm |
| Mar | 6.1 °C | +0.7 °C | 169 mm | +46 mm |
| Apr | 10.4 °C | +1.7 °C | 41 mm | -26 mm |
| May | 17.9 °C | +3.9 °C | 27 mm | -20 mm |
| Jun | 24.1 °C | +3.4 °C | 7 mm | -18 mm |
| Jul | 26.2 °C | 0.0 °C | 22 mm | +10 mm |
| Aug | 26.6 °C | +1.1 °C | 22 mm | +7 mm |
| Sep | 21.5 °C | -0.3 °C | 45 mm | +24 mm |
| Oct | 14.3 °C | -1.1 °C | 72 mm | +25 mm |
| Nov | 10.7 °C | +3.1 °C | 102 mm | +8 mm |
| Dec | 7.3 °C | +4.1 °C | 206 mm | +70 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of South Lake Tahoe?
South Lake Tahoe has a warm-summer mediterranean continental climate (Köppen Dsb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 6.7 °C and it receives 854 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in South Lake Tahoe?
The hottest day measured in South Lake Tahoe between 1940 and 2025 was 10 July 2002, reaching 35.5 °C.
What is the coldest day in South Lake Tahoe?
The coldest day measured in South Lake Tahoe between 1940 and 2025 was 22 December 1990, at -23.5 °C.
Does it snow in South Lake Tahoe?
Yes. South Lake Tahoe gets on average 434.8 cm of snow per year and has around 177 frost days.
Has the climate of South Lake Tahoe warmed?
Yes: South Lake Tahoe warmed by +2.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in South Lake Tahoe?
The wettest day measured in South Lake Tahoe between 1940 and 2025 was 31 December 2022, with 99 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in South Lake Tahoe?
The windiest day measured in South Lake Tahoe between 1940 and 2025 was 22 January 1993, with winds reaching 33.3 km/h.
What is the warmest month in South Lake Tahoe?
The warmest month in South Lake Tahoe is July (17.9 °C on average); the coldest is January (-1.7 °C).
How much does it rain in South Lake Tahoe?
South Lake Tahoe receives on average 854 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 90 rainy days.
Is it sunny in South Lake Tahoe?
South Lake Tahoe gets on average 10.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,942 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in South Lake Tahoe?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in South Lake Tahoe between 1940 and 2025 was 21 January 1967, with 58.6 cm.
Are there tropical nights in South Lake Tahoe?
Almost never: tropical nights (temperature staying above 20 °C) are virtually non-existent in South Lake Tahoe.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in South Lake Tahoe?
In South Lake Tahoe, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 35.9 °C on 10 July 2002, and the lowest was -28.5 °C on 7 February 1989.
Compare South Lake Tahoe with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around South Lake Tahoe