South Lake FS, California climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
South Lake FS's normal year runs from 30°F December nights to 98°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 16.2°C, December lows of −1°C, July highs of 37°C.
- NOAA stationSouth Lake FS
- Station IDUSC00048407
- Location35.65°N 118.36°W
- Elevation2,654 ft (809 m)
On October 23, the normal high in South Lake FS is 78°F and the normal low 40°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for South Lake FS.
- Jan 59° 30°
- Feb 62° 34°
- Mar 67° 36°
- Apr 73° 40°
- May 82° 52°
- Jun 92° 59°
- Jul 98° 65°
- Aug 98° 62°
- Sep 91° 55°
- Oct 81° 43°
- Nov 69° 34°
- Dec 58° 30°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at South Lake FS each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 98°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 30°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59°F | 30°F | 44.6°F | – | <1 | 19 | 10 h |
| February | 62°F | 34°F | 47.6°F | – | <1 | 13 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 67°F | 36°F | 51.5°F | – | <1 | 8 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 73°F | 40°F | 56.6°F | – | 1 | 1 | 13 h |
| May | 82°F | 52°F | 67.2°F | – | 8 | <1 | 14 h |
| June | 92°F | 59°F | 75.6°F | – | 21 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 98°F | 65°F | 81.6°F | – | 30 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 98°F | 62°F | 80.0°F | – | 30 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 91°F | 55°F | 73.1°F | – | 20 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 81°F | 43°F | 61.6°F | – | 6 | 1 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 69°F | 34°F | 51.4°F | – | <1 | 15 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 58°F | 30°F | 43.9°F | – | <1 | 21 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 77°F | 45°F | 61.2°F | – | 114 | 80 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15°C | −1°C | 7.0°C |
| February | 17°C | 1°C | 8.7°C |
| March | 19°C | 2°C | 10.8°C |
| April | 23°C | 5°C | 13.7°C |
| May | 28°C | 11°C | 19.6°C |
| June | 33°C | 15°C | 24.2°C |
| July | 37°C | 18°C | 27.6°C |
| August | 37°C | 17°C | 26.7°C |
| September | 33°C | 13°C | 22.8°C |
| October | 27°C | 6°C | 16.4°C |
| November | 20°C | 1°C | 10.8°C |
| December | 15°C | −1°C | 6.6°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Glennville (20 miles away), gets 6 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00048407; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
Which months are mildest at South Lake FS?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in March, April, May, October and November.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00048407.
When is the last frost at South Lake FS?
In South Lake FS, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 5 in half of years and after April 21 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before November 3 in half of years and before October 18 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 51 year in 10 after April 21; 9 in 10 after March 8
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- November 31 year in 10 before October 18; 9 in 10 before November 16
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 212 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 254 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 6 in half of springs and before November 17 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts South Lake FS in zone 9a in ZIP code 93283, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in California · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00048407; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get at South Lake FS?
In a normal year in South Lake FS, 114 days a year reach 90°F (43 of them 100°F or more) and 80 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 114a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 43a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 80a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- fewer than 1high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00048407.
How sunny is it at South Lake FS?
Over a year 90% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at South Lake FS, 5.6 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (97%) and January the cloudiest (78%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 78% | 2.9 |
| February | 79% | 3.8 |
| March | 83% | 5.2 |
| April | 86% | 6.6 |
| May | 91% | 7.7 |
| June | 97% | 8.5 |
| July | 96% | 8.1 |
| August | 97% | 7.5 |
| September | 96% | 6.3 |
| October | 91% | 4.7 |
| November | 86% | 3.4 |
| December | 78% | 2.6 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How many heating and cooling degree days does South Lake FS record?
A normal year at South Lake FS brings 3,079 heating degree days, 43% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,723 cooling degree days, 90% more than the median (908). Five months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 4,736 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 632 | 0 |
| February | 487 | 0 |
| March | 420 | 0 |
| April | 258 | 5 |
| May | 55 | 123 |
| June | 8 | 324 |
| July | 0 | 514 |
| August | 0 | 465 |
| September | 14 | 255 |
| October | 144 | 37 |
| November | 409 | 1 |
| December | 653 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 3,079 | 1,723 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00048407. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does South Lake FS's climate compare?
South Lake FS is warmer than 107 of the 219 places with their own NOAA record in California. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 61.2°F is warmer than 78%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near South Lake FS share this climate record?
6 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Lake Isabella, CA3,654 people · 7 mi W
- Weldon, CA2,525 people · 3 mi E
- Bodfish, CA2,191 people · 9 mi SW
- Squirrel Mountain Valley, CA1,020 people · 3 mi SW
- Mountain Mesa, CA587 people · 2 mi W
- Onyx, CA574 people · 8 mi E
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about South Lake FS's climate
What is the coldest month at South Lake FS?
December, with a normal high of 58°F and a normal low of 30°F. The warmest is July (98°F by day, 65°F at night).
Does it snow at South Lake FS?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Glennville (20 miles away), records 6 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is South Lake FS in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts South Lake FS in zone 9a in ZIP code 93283, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at South Lake FS?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 5; in one year in ten it comes after April 21. Waiting until April 21 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- California climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Kern River Powerhouse 3, CA11 miles from this station, 61.3°F a year
- Loraine (5 mi NNE), CA19 miles from this station, 56.0°F a year
- Glennville, CA20 miles from this station, 54.2°F a year
- Inyokern, CA30 miles from this station, 64.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made