Tioga Pass Entrance Station · Photo: National Park Service · Public domainFew U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Lee Vining: 12 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 85°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 67°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 71% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 23; autumn frost returns near October 9.
A year in Lee Vining at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lee Vining’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lee Vining’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Lee Vining feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lee Vining, CA, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lee Vining’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 70 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lee Vining, CA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; January is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 50 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lee Vining
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lee Vining, CA.
Living with Lee Vining’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
139 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 23 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and August. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lee Vining from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lee Vining and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lee Vining yet.
Climates most like Lee Vining’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Vining, CA | 18° | 85° | 12" | 70" |
| Livingston, MT | 17° | 85° | 14" | 63" |
| Cheyenne, WY | 16° | 85° | 15" | 65" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| The Pinery, CO | 17° | 86° | 17" | 58" |
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 Lee Vining averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Lee Vining compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lee Vining’s place among California’s.
Lee Vining weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lee Vining’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lee Vining, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 18° | 2.2" | 19.0" | 7 | 19 | 25° – 38° |
| February | 47° | 20° | 2.1" | 16.1" | 7 | 16 | 26° – 42° |
| March | 53° | 24° | 1.4" | 11.6" | 6 | 9 | 31° – 45° |
| April | 59° | 28° | 0.6" | 3.3" | 3 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 35° | 0.5" | 1.6" | 4 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| June | 77° | 42° | 0.3" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| July | 85° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| August | 84° | 46° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 77° | 40° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| October | 66° | 31° | 0.7" | 1.4" | 3 | 1 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 54° | 24° | 1.2" | 4.7" | 4 | 3 | 29° – 45° |
| December | 44° | 18° | 1.9" | 11.6" | 6 | 15 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 63° | 31° | 11.8" | 69.5" | 50 | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lee Vining’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 Lee Vining’s center.
- Snow: Lee Vining, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lee Vining, CA, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Lee Vining’s climate
What is the weather like in Lee Vining?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lee Vining in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Lee Vining get?
About 70 inches in a normal winter at Lee Vining, CA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 64 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lee Vining?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 48°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Lee Vining, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Lee Vining?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 139 frost-free days, at Lee Vining, CA.
What growing zone is Lee Vining in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lee Vining?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lee Vining getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lee Vining.
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.