Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than White Mountain Lake: 12 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 19°. Its July heat outdoes that of 67% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.3° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 5 to October 15.
A year in White Mountain Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about White Mountain Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with White Mountain Lake’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in White Mountain Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 162 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Show Low Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts White Mountain Lake’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Snowflake, AZ, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 53 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in White Mountain Lake
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Show Low Airport.
Living with White Mountain Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
162 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 5 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in White Mountain Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →White Mountain Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of White Mountain Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like White Mountain 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Mountain Lake, AZ | 19° | 88° | 12" | 13" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Eldorado at Santa Fe, NM | 19° | 87° | 13" | 20" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in White Mountain Lake averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 White Mountain Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with White Mountain Lake’s place among Arizona’s.
White Mountain Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at White Mountain Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Snowflake, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 19° | 1.1" | 2.3" | 4 | 3 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 53° | 22° | 0.8" | 2.0" | 4 | 1 | 31° – 44° |
| March | 60° | 27° | 0.6" | 2.1" | 4 | 1 | 38° – 48° |
| April | 67° | 32° | 0.5" | 0.5" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 76° | 39° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 87° | 48° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 88° | 56° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 75° |
| August | 85° | 55° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 80° | 47° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 70° | 36° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 58° | 26° | 1.0" | 1.2" | 4 | 0 | 35° – 50° |
| December | 48° | 19° | 0.8" | 4.5" | 4 | 4 | 28° – 39° |
| Year | 68° | 35° | 12.3" | 12.9" | 53 | 8 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where White Mountain 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 White Mountain Lake’s center.
- Snow: Snowflake, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Show Low Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 White Mountain Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in White Mountain Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in White Mountain Lake in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 121 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does White Mountain Lake get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Snowflake, AZ, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 8 days a year.
How hot does it get in White Mountain Lake?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 56°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Show Low Airport).
When is the first and last frost in White Mountain Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 162 frost-free days, at Show Low Airport.
What growing zone is White Mountain Lake in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit White Mountain Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is White Mountain Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in White Mountain 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.