Smithsonian Institution Shelter · Photo: Justin Johnsen · CC BY 2.0Lone Pine reaches 100° on about 50 days a year, more than all but 153 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 31°.
A year in Lone Pine at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lone Pine’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lone Pine’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Lone Pine feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Independence, CA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lone Pine’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 4 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lone Pine
57% 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 Independence, CA.
Living with Lone Pine’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 74 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lone Pine from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lone Pine and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lone Pine yet.
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 Lone Pine averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Lone Pine compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lone Pine’s place among California’s.
Lone Pine weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lone Pine’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 31° | 1.0" | 38° – 51° |
| February | 59° | 33° | 0.9" | 39° – 55° |
| March | 67° | 38° | 0.5" | 45° – 59° |
| April | 73° | 43° | 0.1" | 52° – 63° |
| May | 82° | 51° | 0.2" | 57° – 74° |
| June | 93° | 60° | 0.1" | 69° – 82° |
| July | 99° | 66° | 0.1" | 78° – 85° |
| August | 98° | 64° | 0.1" | 77° – 84° |
| September | 91° | 57° | 0.1" | 69° – 77° |
| October | 78° | 46° | 0.2" | 58° – 69° |
| November | 65° | 36° | 0.3" | 43° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 30° | 0.7" | 38° – 48° |
| Year | 76° | 46° | 4.3" |
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 74°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lone Pine’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 Lone Pine’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Independence, CA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Lone Pine’s climate
What is the weather like in Lone Pine?
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 31°. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 159 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lone Pine in winter?
December nights average 30°. About 80 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How hot does it get in Lone Pine?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 66°. About 119 days a year reach 90° and 50 reach 100° (Independence, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Lone Pine?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 224 frost-free days, at Independence, CA.
What growing zone is Lone Pine in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lone Pine?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lone Pine getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lone Pine.
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.