Phoenix Lake’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Phoenix Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Phoenix Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Phoenix Lake’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Phoenix Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Groveland 2, CA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Phoenix Lake’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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 38 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 64 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Sonora, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Phoenix Lake
84% 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 Groveland 2, CA.
Living with Phoenix Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and October. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Phoenix Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Phoenix Lake and its neighbors
East Sonora the hottest July afternoons (92°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Phoenix Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Lake, CA | 34° | 91° | 38" | 0.0" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
| Camden, SC | 33° | 92° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Marvin, NC | 31° | 91° | 43" | 0.2" |
| Thomson, GA | 35° | 91° | 46" | 0.5" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Phoenix Lake averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Phoenix Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Phoenix Lake’s place among California’s.
Phoenix Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Phoenix Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sonora, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 34° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| February | 56° | 35° | 6.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| March | 60° | 37° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 45° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 67° |
| June | 83° | 52° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 91° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 90° | 57° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 85° | 54° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 74° | 47° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| November | 61° | 38° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 53° | 33° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| Year | 70° | 44° | 37.5" | 0.0" | 64 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 67°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Phoenix Lake’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 Phoenix Lake’s center.
- Snow: Sonora, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Groveland 2, CA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Phoenix Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Phoenix Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Phoenix Lake in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 91 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Phoenix Lake get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Sonora, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Phoenix Lake?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 58°. About 59 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Groveland 2, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Phoenix Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 192 frost-free days, at Groveland 2, CA.
What growing zone is Phoenix Lake in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Phoenix Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Phoenix Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Phoenix Lake.
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.