Photo: shadowhound · CC BY-SA 2.0Lake Arrowhead’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Lake Arrowhead at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Arrowhead’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Arrowhead’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Lake Arrowhead feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lake Arrowhead, CA, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Arrowhead’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lake Arrowhead, CA, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 35 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Arrowhead
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Lake Arrowhead, CA.
Living with Lake Arrowhead’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 8a. 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 Nov 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 33 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Arrowhead from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Arrowhead and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Arrowhead yet.
Climates most like Lake Arrowhead’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Arrowhead, CA | 33° | 83° | 33" | 22" |
| McMinnville, OR | 36° | 83° | 42" | 13" |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 26° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
| Staunton, VA | 25° | 85° | 41" | 22" |
| Copiague, NY | 26° | 83° | 44" | 26" |
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 Lake Arrowhead averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Lake Arrowhead compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Arrowhead’s place among California’s.
Lake Arrowhead weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Arrowhead’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lake Arrowhead, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 33° | 7.7" | 3.0" | 6 | 36° – 48° |
| February | 50° | 33° | 7.9" | 5.3" | 7 | 33° – 49° |
| March | 56° | 35° | 4.9" | 6.7" | 5 | 38° – 53° |
| April | 61° | 39° | 2.4" | 2.8" | 3 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 0.7" | 0.8" | 2 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 53° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 83° | 60° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 60° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 69° – 75° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 63° – 70° |
| October | 68° | 46° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 57° | 37° | 2.2" | 0.3" | 3 | 39° – 53° |
| December | 49° | 32° | 5.5" | 3.5" | 4 | 36° – 45° |
| Year | 65° | 44° | 33.4" | 22.4" | 35 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Lake Arrowhead’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 Lake Arrowhead’s center.
- Snow: Lake Arrowhead, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lake Arrowhead, CA, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower; 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 Lake Arrowhead’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Arrowhead?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Arrowhead in winter?
December nights average 32°. About 105 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Lake Arrowhead get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Lake Arrowhead, CA, most of it in March.
How hot does it get in Lake Arrowhead?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 60°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Lake Arrowhead, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Arrowhead?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 176 frost-free days, at Lake Arrowhead, CA.
What growing zone is Lake Arrowhead in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Arrowhead?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lake Arrowhead getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Arrowhead.
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.