, with cold, snowy winters and sunny summers, which are warm during the day, but with cool nights.
The lake is located north-east of San Francisco and Sacramento, on the border between
and Nevada, and 1,900 meters (6,200 ft) above sea level. A short distance away are the cities of Carson City and
, both in Nevada. Around the lake are several winter sports resorts, the largest of which are the
in the northwest.
, the night temperature normally drops below freezing, sometimes even by several degrees.
of the year, the temperature generally reaches -18/-20 °C (-4/0 °F), but sometimes it can even drop below. In February 1989, it dropped to -33 °C (27.5 °F) in South Lake Tahoe. Snowfalls are abundant: almost 5 meters (16 feet and a half) of snow fall in the northern part and almost 3 meters (10 ft) in the southern part of the lake. Usually, it snows from November to April.
, there are strong differences in temperature between night and day, so it can be cold at night, while it is warm during the day. On the
of the year, the temperature generally reaches 30/33 C (86/91 °F). In summer, water sports are practiced on the lake. On rare occasions, thunderstorms can break out in the afternoon.
of the coldest month (December) is of -0.9 °C (30.4 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 16.4 °C (61.4 °F).
is relatively abundant: in Tahoe City, it amounts to 800 millimeters (31.5 inches) per year. In South Lake Tahoe, on the contrary, it amounts to 520 millimeters (20.5 inches) per year.
The best time to visit Lake Tahoe is from June to September, since it is the warmest and sunniest period, bearing in mind that it is necessary to dress in layers because there are strong temperature differences between night and day.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January is generally a very cold month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
-0.8 °C, with a minimum of
-7.6 °C and a maximum of
6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-18 °C. However, it dropped to
-25.6 °C in January 2013.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
12.5 °C. However, it reached
18.9 °C in January 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 50 minutes.
The average humidity is 67%.
The average wind speed is of
8.8 kph.
February is generally a very cold month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
-0.4 °C, with a minimum of
-7.1 °C and a maximum of
6.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-16 °C. However, it dropped to
-26.1 °C in February 2011.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
13.5 °C. However, it reached
18.3 °C in February 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
95 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 50 minutes.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
9.6 kph.
March is generally a cold month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
2.1 °C, with a minimum of
-4.6 °C and a maximum of
8.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-13.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-21.1 °C in March 2018.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
16 °C. However, it reached
21.7 °C in March 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
75 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
The average humidity is 59%.
The average wind speed is of
10.9 kph.
April is generally a quite cold month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
4.7 °C, with a minimum of
-2.4 °C and a maximum of
11.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-8.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-13.9 °C in April 2011.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
20.5 °C. However, it reached
23.9 °C in April 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
30 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 20 minutes.
The average humidity is 54%.
The average wind speed is of
11.4 kph.
May is generally a mild month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
8.7 °C, with a minimum of
0.7 °C and a maximum of
16.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-3.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-7.8 °C in May 2011.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24.5 °C. However, it reached
28.9 °C in May 2003.
Precipitation amounts to
35 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 20 minutes. So the days are long.
The average humidity is 50%.
The average wind speed is of
10.8 kph.
June is generally a mild month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
12.8 °C, with a minimum of
3.4 °C and a maximum of
22.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1 °C. However, it dropped to
-4.4 °C in June 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
29 °C. However, it reached
32.2 °C in June 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
15 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 55 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
The average humidity is 43%.
The average wind speed is of
10.6 kph.
July, the warmest month of the year, is generally a very mild month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
16.4 °C, with a minimum of
5.8 °C and a maximum of
26.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2 °C. However, it dropped to
-0.6 °C in July 2016.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
32 °C. However, it reached
35.5 °C in July 1992.
Precipitation amounts to
10 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 35 minutes. So the days are long.
The average humidity is 40%.
The average wind speed is of
9.4 kph.
August is generally a very mild month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
15.8 °C, with a minimum of
5 °C and a maximum of
26.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-2 °C in August 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31 °C. However, it reached
35 °C in August 1996.
Precipitation amounts to
10 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 35 minutes.
The average humidity is 39%.
The average wind speed is of
9.4 kph.
September is generally a mild month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
12.4 °C, with a minimum of
1.9 °C and a maximum of
23 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-5 °C in September 2005.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
28.5 °C. However, it reached
33.3 °C in September 2020.
Precipitation amounts to only
5 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
The average humidity is 41%.
The average wind speed is of
8.9 kph.
October is generally a quite mild month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
7.6 °C, with a minimum of
-1.6 °C and a maximum of
16.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-7 °C. However, it dropped to
-12.8 °C in October 2019.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24 °C. However, it reached
28 °C in October 1996.
Precipitation amounts to
35 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 5 minutes.
The average humidity is 49%.
The average wind speed is of
8.5 kph.
November is generally a cold month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
2.8 °C, with a minimum of
-4.8 °C and a maximum of
10.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-13 °C. However, it dropped to
-22.8 °C in November 2010.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
18.5 °C. However, it reached
21 °C in November 1999.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 0 minutes.
The average humidity is 59%.
The average wind speed is of
9.1 kph.
December, the coldest month of the year, is generally a very cold month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
-0.9 °C, with a minimum of
-7.8 °C and a maximum of
6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-17.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-25.6 °C in December 2013.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
13 °C. However, it reached
17.8 °C in December 2008.
Precipitation amounts to
90 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 30 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
The average humidity is 66%.
The average wind speed is of
9.5 kph.