Lakeland Highlands has some of the mildest winter nights among U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 92°. The wettest month is June; the driest is November. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 92% of U.S. towns. From November to April, highs of 72–84° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Lakeland Highlands at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lakeland Highlands’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lakeland Highlands’ place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Lakeland Highlands feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lakeland 2, FL, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lakeland Highlands’ 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.
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
June is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 101 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Bartow 1se, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lakeland Highlands
11% 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 Lakeland 2, FL.
Living with Lakeland Highlands’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 7 winters in 10, 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. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lakeland Highlands from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lakeland Highlands and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lakeland Highlands in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lakeland Highlands’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland Highlands, FL | 50° | 92° | 54" | 0.0" |
| Webster, TX | 45° | 91° | 54" | 0.2" |
| St. Marys, GA | 43° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Morgan City, LA | 44° | 91° | 60" | 0.0" |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | 41° | 90° | 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 Lakeland Highlands averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Lakeland Highlands compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lakeland Highlands’ place among Florida’s.
Lakeland Highlands weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lakeland Highlands’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bartow 1se, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 72° | 50° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| February | 75° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 71° |
| March | 79° | 56° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| April | 84° | 61° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| May | 89° | 66° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| June | 91° | 72° | 8.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| July | 92° | 73° | 8.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 73° | 8.2" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| September | 90° | 72° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 79° – 83° |
| October | 85° | 66° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| November | 78° | 58° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| December | 74° | 53° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 72° |
| Year | 83° | 63° | 53.7" | 0.0" | 101 | 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 72°. July is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where Lakeland Highlands’ 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 Lakeland Highlands’ center.
- Snow: Bartow 1se, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lakeland 2, FL, 4 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 Lakeland Highlands’ climate
What is the weather like in Lakeland Highlands?
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 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lakeland Highlands in winter?
January nights average 50°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 54°.
How much snow does Lakeland Highlands get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Bartow 1se, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lakeland Highlands?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 73°. About 119 days a year reach 90° (Lakeland 2, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Lakeland Highlands?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 68% of winters at Lakeland 2, FL, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Lakeland Highlands 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 Lakeland Highlands?
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 Lakeland Highlands getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lakeland Highlands.
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.