Photo: Dasandman008 · CC BY-SA 3.0Lake City gets about 104 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 80°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 92% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Lake City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake City’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Lake City 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 26 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Erie International Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake City’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 104 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Erie International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 167 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake City
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Erie International Airport.
Living with Lake City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Nov 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake City and its neighbors
Girard Township has the coldest January nights next door (19°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lake City’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 City, PA | 21° | 80° | 43" | 104" |
| Auburn, NY | 17° | 81° | 42" | 109" |
| Frostburg, MD | 20° | 82° | 44" | 72" |
| Grand Haven, MI | 19° | 81° | 36" | 87" |
| Pittsfield, MA | 14° | 81° | 45" | 77" |
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 City averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
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 Lake City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake City’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Lake City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Erie International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 21° | 3.3" | 31.8" | 20 | 20 | 18° – 38° |
| February | 36° | 21° | 2.4" | 19.4" | 15 | 17 | 12° – 37° |
| March | 44° | 28° | 3.0" | 14.5" | 14 | 9 | 28° – 49° |
| April | 56° | 38° | 3.6" | 2.6" | 14 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 68° | 49° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 76° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 80° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 62° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 61° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 49° | 36° | 3.7" | 9.6" | 15 | 5 | 36° – 49° |
| December | 39° | 28° | 3.6" | 26.3" | 19 | 12 | 24° – 44° |
| Year | 58° | 42° | 43.0" | 104.3" | 167 | 63 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Lake City’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 City’s center.
- Snow: Erie International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Erie International Airport, 9 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 City’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 104 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake City in winter?
February nights average 21°. About 111 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Lake City get?
About 104 inches in a normal winter at Erie International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 63 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake City?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 63°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Erie International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Lake City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 192 frost-free days, at Erie International Airport.
What growing zone is Lake City in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lake City 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 Lake City.
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.