Photo: DanTD · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns see softer January nights than Lake Hamilton
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 92°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 90% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.6° rise. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from November to March, with highs of 72–79°.
A year in Lake Hamilton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Hamilton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Hamilton’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Lake Hamilton 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 Winter Haven, FL, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Hamilton’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 31°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 53 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 99 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Mtn Lake, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Hamilton
9% 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 Winter Haven, FL.
Living with Lake Hamilton’s 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, November and December. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Hamilton from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Hamilton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lake Hamilton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lake Hamilton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Hamilton, FL | 50° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Alvin, TX | 45° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| St. Marys, GA | 43° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Morgan City, LA | 44° | 91° | 60" | 0.0" |
| Port Royal, SC | 41° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
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 Lake Hamilton averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Lake Hamilton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Hamilton’s place among Florida’s.
Lake Hamilton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Hamilton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mtn Lake, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 72° | 50° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| February | 75° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 72° |
| March | 79° | 56° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| April | 84° | 61° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| May | 89° | 67° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| June | 91° | 72° | 8.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| July | 92° | 73° | 8.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| August | 92° | 74° | 8.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| September | 90° | 72° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 79° – 83° |
| October | 85° | 66° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| November | 79° | 58° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| December | 74° | 53° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 73° |
| Year | 84° | 63° | 52.6" | 0.0" | 99 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 73°. August is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where Lake Hamilton’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 Lake Hamilton’s center.
- Snow: Mtn Lake, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Winter Haven, FL, 7 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 Lake Hamilton’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Hamilton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 50°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Hamilton in winter?
January nights average 50°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.7 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 55°.
How much snow does Lake Hamilton get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Mtn Lake, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lake Hamilton?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 73°. About 115 days a year reach 90° (Winter Haven, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Hamilton?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 38% of winters at Winter Haven, FL, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Lake Hamilton in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Hamilton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lake Hamilton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Hamilton.
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.