Reading Adobe Site · Photo: Brian Jinnett · CC BY-SA 3.0Lake California reaches 100° on about 41 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 39° on average. January is the wettest month, July the driest. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 87% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from December to January, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Lake California at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake California’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake California’s place in California State beside it.
What a year in Lake California feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 261 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 3 and the first by November 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Redding Muni Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake California’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 27 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 68 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lake California
56% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Redding Muni Airport.
Living with Lake California’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
261 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 3 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 4.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake California from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake California and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake California yet.
Climates most like Lake California’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 California, CA | 39° | 98° | 27" | 0.0" |
| Pearsall, TX | 41° | 97° | 24" | 0.0" |
| Vail, AZ | 36° | 97° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Lawton, OK | 29° | 96° | 32" | 1.8" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 California averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 California compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake California’s place among California State’s.
Lake California weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake California’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 39° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| February | 61° | 41° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| March | 66° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| April | 72° | 47° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| May | 82° | 55° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 76° |
| June | 91° | 62° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 83° |
| July | 98° | 67° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| August | 96° | 65° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| September | 92° | 60° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 80° | 52° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 64° | 44° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 38° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| Year | 76° | 51° | 26.7" | 0.0" | 68 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 58° to 76°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lake California’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 California’s center.
- Snow: Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Redding Muni Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 California’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake California?
A typical July afternoon reaches 98°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake California in winter?
December nights average 38°. About 27 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Lake California get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Coleman Fisheries Stn, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lake California?
July, with a typical high of 98° and a low of 67°. About 106 days a year reach 90° and 41 reach 100° (Redding Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Lake California?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 3 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 261 frost-free days, at Redding Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Lake California in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake California?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lake California getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake California.
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.