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California: first snow, freeze dates and white Christmas odds
Snow and freeze history for 10 NOAA weather stations in California, computed from 1995–2024 daily records. The earliest typical first snow among them is Bishop (median Dec 25). The best white Christmas odds are at Bakersfield (0%).
| City | First measurable snow (median) | First 1"+ snow (median) | White Christmas chance | Avg snowfall / season | First fall freeze (median) | Last spring freeze (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | Jan 25 | Jan 25 | 0% | 0.1" | Dec 10 | Feb 7 |
| Barstow-Daggett | – | – | – | – | Nov 25 | Feb 24 |
| Bishop | Dec 25 | Dec 25 | 0% | 5.0" | Oct 14 | May 1 |
| Blythe | – | – | – | – | Dec 15 | Feb 4 |
| Eureka | Feb 22 | – | 0% | 0.1" | Dec 1 | Feb 26 |
| Fresno | Dec 20 | – | 0% | 0.0" | Dec 7 | Feb 4 |
| Imperial | – | – | – | – | Dec 17 | – |
| South Lake Tahoe | – | – | – | – | Aug 31 | Jun 20 |
| Thermal (Desert Resorts Airport) | – | – | – | – | Dec 3 | Feb 14 |
| Ukiah | – | – | – | – | Nov 15 | Mar 8 |
Planning for winter? Heat pump vs gas furnace, propane and oil: heating cost in California (on our sister site PlugVsPump, from EIA prices).