Mammoth Lakes, CA climate
Mammoth Lakes has cold winters and cool summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 15°.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade15° warmer than normal today. The forecast high is 75°, and a typical Oct 1 in Mammoth Lakes peaks around 60°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Mammoth Lakes feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Mammoth Lakes weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 15° | 4.2" | 22° – 35° |
| February | 39° | 14° | 3.9" | 19° – 36° |
| March | 43° | 17° | 3.5" | 21° – 36° |
| April | 47° | 21° | 1.8" | 28° – 39° |
| May | 54° | 28° | 1.4" | 33° – 47° |
| June | 65° | 36° | 0.5" | 45° – 56° |
| July | 72° | 43° | 0.7" | 53° – 61° |
| August | 71° | 41° | 0.4" | 52° – 59° |
| September | 66° | 36° | 0.5" | 46° – 55° |
| October | 55° | 28° | 1.3" | 36° – 47° |
| November | 46° | 21° | 2.2" | 23° – 41° |
| December | 39° | 15° | 4.0" | 21° – 33° |
| Year | 53° | 26° | 24.3" |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Mammoth Lakes
Mammoth Lakes gets 24 inches of rain and melted snow a year. January is the wettest month and August the driest.
About 98 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 10 and the first one by September 17. That leaves about 98 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Mammoth Lakes
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Mammoth Lakes, 99% of that work is heating and 1% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Mammoth Lakes compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Mammoth Lakes averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 59% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Mammoth Lakes’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. November swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 23° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Mammoth Lakes’s climate
What is the coldest month in Mammoth Lakes?
February, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Mammoth Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 72° and a low of 43°.
When is the first frost in Mammoth Lakes?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 17, and the last spring frost by June 10.
What is the rainiest month in Mammoth Lakes?
January, with 4.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 24 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Mammoth Lakes itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA (2 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.