Freeze warning issued for Crater Lake area as summer approaches

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Those looking to camp out at Crater Lake National Park ahead of the first day of summer will be met with sub-freezing temperatures on Monday night and early Tuesday morning. A freeze warning has been issued in the area as overnight lows will drop into the upper 20s.

KOIN 6 Meteorologist Josh Cozart reports that icy temperatures at Crater Lake are uncommon this close to the summer season. The first day of summer is June 21.

“Chilly early morning lows are the norm for Crater Lake's elevations of over 6,000 feet, but freeze warnings are not that common in July,” Cozart said.

Chilly temperatures have brought mountain snow to elevations above 4,500 feet in Oregon this week. However, temperatures in the Crater Lake area are expected to dip into the mid 20s early Tuesday morning, prompting a weather alert from the National Weather Service for areas of Klamath and Lake Counties.

“That's nearly 10 degrees colder than normal for the middle of June,” Cozart said.

Campers, park visitors and residents in the affected areas outlined by the NWS should take precautions to avoid hypothermia in humans and pets. Plants may also be damaged by the extreme cold.