Hardly any U.S. towns see softer January nights than Desoto Lakes
Sunny July days climb to about 92°. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 92% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.5° rise. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from November to April, with highs of 72–83°.
A year in Desoto Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Desoto Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Desoto Lakes’ place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Desoto Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bradenton 5 Ese, FL, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Desoto Lakes’ center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 33°. 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 54 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 114 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Bradenton 5 Ese, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Desoto Lakes
10% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Bradenton 5 Ese, FL.
Living with Desoto Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 3, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Desoto Lakes from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Desoto Lakes and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Desoto Lakes yet.
Climates most like Desoto Lakes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto Lakes, FL | 51° | 92° | 54" | 0.0" |
| La Marque, TX | 46° | 90° | 53" | 0.2" |
| St. Marys, GA | 43° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Morgan City, LA | 44° | 91° | 60" | 0.0" |
| Gulf Shores, AL | 44° | 90° | 62" | 0.0" |
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 Desoto Lakes averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Desoto Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Desoto Lakes’ place among Florida’s.
Desoto Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Desoto Lakes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bradenton 5 Ese, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 72° | 51° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| February | 75° | 54° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 72° |
| March | 78° | 57° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| April | 83° | 62° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| May | 88° | 67° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| June | 91° | 72° | 8.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 80° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 74° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 74° | 9.2" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| September | 90° | 73° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| October | 85° | 67° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| November | 79° | 59° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| December | 75° | 54° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 72° |
| Year | 83° | 63° | 53.5" | 0.0" | 114 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 53° to 72°. July is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where Desoto 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 Desoto Lakes’ center.
- Snow: Bradenton 5 Ese, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bradenton 5 Ese, FL, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Desoto Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Desoto Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 51°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Desoto Lakes in winter?
January nights average 51°. About 1 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 55°.
How much snow does Desoto Lakes get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Bradenton 5 Ese, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Desoto Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 74°. About 116 days a year reach 90° (Bradenton 5 Ese, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Desoto Lakes?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 31% of winters at Bradenton 5 Ese, FL, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Desoto Lakes in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 33°.
What is the best time of year to visit Desoto Lakes?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Desoto Lakes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Desoto 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.