Hardly any U.S. towns see hotter July days than Lake Don Pedro
Midwinter brings lows of about 37°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 89% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in January. The heating season runs December to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Lake Don Pedro at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Don Pedro’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Don Pedro’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Lake Don Pedro feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 213 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from Sonora, CA, 23 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Don Pedro’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. 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 20 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 64 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Sonora, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Don Pedro
79% 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 Sonora, CA.
Living with Lake Don Pedro’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
213 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Apr 9 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 4.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Don Pedro from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Don Pedro and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Don Pedro yet.
Climates most like Lake Don Pedro’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 Don Pedro, CA | 37° | 95° | 20" | 0.0" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Pearsall, TX | 41° | 97° | 24" | 0.0" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
| Chaparral, NM | 31° | 95° | 9" | 0.0" |
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 Don Pedro averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Don Pedro compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Don Pedro’s place among California’s.
Lake Don Pedro weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Don Pedro’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sonora, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 37° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| February | 60° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| March | 65° | 42° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 80° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 73° |
| June | 89° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| July | 95° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 94° | 61° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| September | 89° | 57° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| October | 78° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| November | 65° | 41° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| December | 55° | 37° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 50° |
| Year | 75° | 48° | 20.4" | 0.0" | 64 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 73°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lake Don Pedro’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 Don Pedro’s center.
- Snow: Sonora, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sonora, CA, 23 miles from the town’s center, 630 ft higher; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Don Pedro’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Don Pedro?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Don Pedro in winter?
December nights average 37°. About 66 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 Don Pedro get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Sonora, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lake Don Pedro?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 62°. About 75 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Sonora, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Don Pedro?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 213 frost-free days, at Sonora, CA.
What growing zone is Lake Don Pedro in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Don Pedro?
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 Don Pedro getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Don Pedro.
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.