Photo: Bernardgeorgeh · CC BY-SA 4.0Red Lake’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Red Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Red Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Red Lake’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Red Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Williams, AZ, 8 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Red Lake’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Williams, AZ, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Red Lake
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Williams, AZ.
Living with Red Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Red Lake from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Red Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Red Lake yet.
Climates most like Red Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lake, AZ | 20° | 86° | 16" | 65" |
| Castle Pines, CO | 19° | 86° | 17" | 58" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| Livingston, MT | 17° | 85° | 14" | 63" |
| Cheyenne, WY | 16° | 85° | 15" | 65" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Red Lake averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Red Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Red Lake’s place among Arizona’s.
Red Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Red Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Williams, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 20° | 1.6" | 16.8" | 7 | 28° – 40° |
| February | 50° | 22° | 1.6" | 12.4" | 6 | 30° – 42° |
| March | 56° | 27° | 1.6" | 11.1" | 6 | 34° – 48° |
| April | 63° | 31° | 0.7" | 5.7" | 4 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 72° | 37° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 4 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 83° | 45° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 86° | 53° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 67° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 52° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 78° | 45° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 67° | 34° | 1.2" | 0.7" | 4 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 56° | 25° | 1.0" | 4.8" | 4 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 47° | 18° | 1.3" | 13.5" | 6 | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 66° | 34° | 16.4" | 65.1" | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Red Lake’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 Red Lake’s center.
- Snow: Williams, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Williams, AZ, 8 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 Red Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Red Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Red Lake in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 150 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Red Lake get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Williams, AZ, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Red Lake?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 53°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Williams, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Red Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 135 frost-free days, at Williams, AZ.
What growing zone is Red Lake in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Red Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Red Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Red Lake.
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.