Lakeside reaches 100° on about 31 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 40°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 59°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of almost every U.S. town. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from February to April and October to November, with highs of 66–82°.
A year in Lakeside at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lakeside’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lakeside’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Lakeside feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 312 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 31 and the first by December 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bakersfield 5 Nw, CA, 13 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lakeside’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 6 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 38 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Bakersfield Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lakeside
49% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Bakersfield 5 Nw, CA.
Living with Lakeside’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
312 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 31 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lakeside from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lakeside and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lakeside yet.
Climates most like Lakeside’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside, CA | 40° | 98° | 6" | 0.1" |
| Sahuarita, AZ | 37° | 99° | 12" | 0.1" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
| Canutillo, TX | 32° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 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 Lakeside averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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 Lakeside compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lakeside’s place among California’s.
Lakeside weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lakeside’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bakersfield Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 40° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| February | 66° | 44° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| March | 72° | 47° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| April | 78° | 51° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| May | 85° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| June | 93° | 64° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| July | 98° | 69° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| August | 97° | 68° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| September | 92° | 63° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| October | 82° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| November | 69° | 45° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| December | 61° | 39° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| Year | 79° | 54° | 6.0" | 0.1" | 38 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 63° to 78°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lakeside’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 Lakeside’s center.
- Snow: Bakersfield Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bakersfield 5 Nw, CA, 13 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Lakeside’s climate
What is the weather like in Lakeside?
A typical July afternoon reaches 98°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 187 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lakeside in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 17 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Lakeside get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Bakersfield Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lakeside?
July, with a typical high of 98° and a low of 69°. About 110 days a year reach 90° and 31 reach 100° (Bakersfield 5 Nw, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Lakeside?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 31 and the first fall frost by December 8, about 312 frost-free days, at Bakersfield 5 Nw, CA.
What growing zone is Lakeside 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 Lakeside?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lakeside getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lakeside.
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.