Bridgeport Covered Bridge · Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0Lake Wildwood reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 91% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 37°. Precipitation peaks in December and eases off in July. Its January nights stay gentler than in 85% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from December to February, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Lake Wildwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Wildwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Wildwood’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Lake Wildwood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 229 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dobbins 1 S, CA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Wildwood’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 26°. 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 41 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 74 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Harry L Englebright Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Wildwood
76% 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 Dobbins 1 S, CA.
Living with Lake Wildwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
229 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Apr 1 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Wildwood from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Wildwood and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Wildwood yet.
Climates most like Lake Wildwood’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 Wildwood, CA | 37° | 93° | 41" | 0.0" |
| Terrell, TX | 36° | 94° | 41" | 0.1" |
| Dublin, GA | 37° | 93° | 47" | 0.0" |
| Dentsville, SC | 34° | 93° | 46" | 0.4" |
| Durant, OK | 32° | 94° | 43" | 2.0" |
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 Wildwood averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Wildwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Wildwood’s place among California’s.
Lake Wildwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Wildwood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Harry L Englebright Dam, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 37° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| February | 59° | 39° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| March | 62° | 42° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 72° |
| June | 86° | 57° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| July | 93° | 62° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 92° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| September | 87° | 57° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 76° | 49° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| November | 62° | 42° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| December | 54° | 37° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| Year | 72° | 48° | 40.7" | 0.0" | 74 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 72°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lake Wildwood’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 Wildwood’s center.
- Snow: Harry L Englebright Dam, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dobbins 1 S, CA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 300 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 Lake Wildwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Wildwood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, 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 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Wildwood in winter?
December nights average 37°. About 58 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Lake Wildwood get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Harry L Englebright Dam, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lake Wildwood?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 62°. About 79 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Dobbins 1 S, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Wildwood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 17, about 229 frost-free days, at Dobbins 1 S, CA.
What growing zone is Lake Wildwood in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Wildwood?
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 Wildwood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Wildwood.
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.