Photo: Evanoco · CC BY-SA 4.0Afternoon heat in Lake City beats that of 88% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 35°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 80% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. Radiators earn their keep from December to February, the months that average 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 South Carolina 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 240 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 20 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lake City 2 Se, SC, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake City’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cades 4 W, SC, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 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
53% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lake City 2 Se, SC.
Living with Lake City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
240 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 20 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake City from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake City yet.
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, SC | 35° | 92° | 48" | 1.6" |
| Sandersville, GA | 35° | 92° | 47" | 0.5" |
| Mount Pleasant, TX | 35° | 94° | 48" | 1.9" |
| Texarkana, AR | 34° | 93° | 52" | 2.1" |
| Eufaula, AL | 37° | 92° | 52" | 0.5" |
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 City averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 South Carolina’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 Cades 4 W, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 35° | 3.5" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| February | 61° | 38° | 3.3" | 0.8" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 60° |
| March | 69° | 43° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| April | 77° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 84° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 70° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 64° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 77° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 67° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| December | 60° | 37° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 61° |
| Year | 76° | 52° | 48.4" | 1.6" | 113 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
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: Cades 4 W, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lake City 2 Se, SC, 1.4 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 Lake City’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake City in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 53 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Lake City get?
About 1.6 inches in a normal winter at Cades 4 W, SC, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake City?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 72 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Lake City 2 Se, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Lake City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 20 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 240 frost-free days, at Lake City 2 Se, SC.
What growing zone is Lake City in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
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), March, April, May, October and November. 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 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% 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.