Photo: Perfect Zero from Los Angeles, CA, US · CC BY 2.0Mammoth Lakes’ winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 72°
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 15°.
A year in Mammoth Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mammoth Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mammoth Lakes’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Mammoth Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 98 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 10 and the first by September 17. Frost and day counts come from Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA, 2.2 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mammoth Lakes’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 24 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Mammoth Lakes
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA.
Living with Mammoth Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
98 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Jun 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 Sep 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 77 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mammoth Lakes from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mammoth Lakes and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mammoth Lakes 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 Mammoth Lakes averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Mammoth Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mammoth Lakes’ place among California’s.
Mammoth Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mammoth Lakes’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 15° | 4.2" | 22° – 35° |
| February | 39° | 14° | 3.9" | 19° – 36° |
| March | 43° | 17° | 3.5" | 21° – 36° |
| April | 47° | 21° | 1.8" | 28° – 39° |
| May | 54° | 28° | 1.4" | 33° – 47° |
| June | 65° | 36° | 0.5" | 45° – 56° |
| July | 72° | 43° | 0.7" | 53° – 61° |
| August | 71° | 41° | 0.4" | 52° – 59° |
| September | 66° | 36° | 0.5" | 46° – 55° |
| October | 55° | 28° | 1.3" | 36° – 47° |
| November | 46° | 21° | 2.2" | 23° – 41° |
| December | 39° | 15° | 4.0" | 21° – 33° |
| Year | 53° | 26° | 24.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Mammoth Lakes’ 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 Mammoth Lakes’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 920 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 Mammoth Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Mammoth Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 15°. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 116 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mammoth Lakes in winter?
February nights average 14°. About 210 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How hot does it get in Mammoth Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 72°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA.
When is the first and last frost in Mammoth Lakes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 10 and the first fall frost by September 17, about 98 frost-free days, at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA.
What growing zone is Mammoth Lakes in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mammoth Lakes?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mammoth Lakes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mammoth Lakes.
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.