Lucerne has warmer summer afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 35°. Seasons differ by 58°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its January nights stay gentler than in 80% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 10, with the first autumn frost due around November 6.
A year in Lucerne at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lucerne’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lucerne’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Lucerne feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 209 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from Clearlake 4 Se, CA, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lucerne’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 43 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 79 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Clearlake 4 Se, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lucerne
82% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Clearlake 4 Se, CA.
Living with Lucerne’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
209 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 6.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lucerne from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lucerne and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lucerne yet.
Climates most like Lucerne’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucerne, CA | 35° | 92° | 43" | 0.4" |
| Lugoff, SC | 33° | 92° | 43" | 0.4" |
| Evans, GA | 35° | 92° | 45" | 0.8" |
| Greenville, TX | 34° | 94° | 44" | 0.4" |
| Laurinburg, NC | 33° | 91° | 45" | 1.1" |
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 Lucerne averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Lucerne compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lucerne’s place among California’s.
Lucerne weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lucerne’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clearlake 4 Se, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 35° | 8.9" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| February | 58° | 37° | 7.8" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 39° – 55° |
| March | 62° | 38° | 6.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 58° |
| April | 67° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| May | 76° | 47° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 69° |
| June | 85° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| July | 92° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 92° | 56° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 87° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| October | 76° | 45° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| November | 62° | 39° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| December | 55° | 34° | 8.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| Year | 72° | 44° | 42.7" | 0.4" | 79 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 69°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Lucerne’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 Lucerne’s center.
- Snow: Clearlake 4 Se, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Clearlake 4 Se, CA, 14 miles from the town’s center, 540 ft lower; 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 Lucerne’s climate
What is the weather like in Lucerne?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lucerne in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 72 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Lucerne get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Clearlake 4 Se, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lucerne?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 58°. About 66 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Clearlake 4 Se, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Lucerne?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 209 frost-free days, at Clearlake 4 Se, CA.
What growing zone is Lucerne 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 Lucerne?
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 Lucerne getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lucerne.
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.