Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Lake Placid sits near the top of U.S. towns for mild winters
July afternoons average 92°. Winter and summer sit 42° apart. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 88% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from November to March, with highs of 74–80°.
A year in Lake Placid at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Placid’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Placid’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Lake Placid feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 300 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 26 and the first by December 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Archbold Bio Stn, FL, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Placid’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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 52 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 110 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Desoto City 8 Sw, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Placid
13% 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 Archbold Bio Stn, FL.
Living with Lake Placid’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
300 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 26 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 6.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Placid from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Placid and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Placid yet.
Climates most like Lake Placid’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 Placid, FL | 50° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Lake Jackson, TX | 45° | 92° | 50" | 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 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 Lake Placid averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 Placid compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Placid’s place among Florida’s.
Lake Placid weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Placid’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Desoto City 8 Sw, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 74° | 50° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| February | 77° | 53° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 72° |
| March | 80° | 56° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 74° |
| April | 85° | 60° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| May | 89° | 65° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| June | 91° | 71° | 8.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 72° | 7.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 73° | 7.8" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| September | 90° | 72° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 79° – 82° |
| October | 86° | 66° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| November | 80° | 58° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| December | 76° | 53° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 73° |
| Year | 84° | 62° | 51.9" | 0.0" | 110 | 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 Placid’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 Placid’s center.
- Snow: Desoto City 8 Sw, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Archbold Bio Stn, FL, 8 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 Placid’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Placid?
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 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Placid in winter?
January nights average 50°. About 9 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 55°.
How much snow does Lake Placid get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Desoto City 8 Sw, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lake Placid?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 72°. About 140 days a year reach 90° (Archbold Bio Stn, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Placid?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 26 and the first fall frost by December 22, about 300 frost-free days, at Archbold Bio Stn, FL.
What growing zone is Lake Placid in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Placid?
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 Placid getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Placid.
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.