Summer arrives in force in Lakewood, hotter than in 84% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 35°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 79% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.7° higher. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 24 to November 7.
A year in Lakewood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lakewood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lakewood’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Lakewood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sumter, SC, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lakewood’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 48 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 117 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Sumter, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lakewood
61% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Sumter, SC.
Living with Lakewood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 24 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 5.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lakewood from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lakewood and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Lakewood in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Lakewood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood, SC | 35° | 91° | 48" | 0.3" |
| Sandersville, GA | 35° | 92° | 47" | 0.5" |
| Smithfield, NC | 32° | 91° | 48" | 0.8" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
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 Lakewood averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Lakewood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lakewood’s place among South Carolina’s.
Lakewood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lakewood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sumter, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 35° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| February | 61° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 59° |
| March | 68° | 43° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 63° |
| April | 76° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 83° | 59° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 70° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 64° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| November | 67° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 59° | 37° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 59° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 47.6" | 0.3" | 117 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lakewood’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 Lakewood’s center.
- Snow: Sumter, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sumter, SC, 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 Lakewood’s climate
What is the weather like in Lakewood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lakewood in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 56 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Lakewood get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Sumter, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Lakewood?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Sumter, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Lakewood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 230 frost-free days, at Sumter, SC.
What growing zone is Lakewood 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 Lakewood?
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 Lakewood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lakewood.
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.