What is the weather like in Lancaster?
Lancaster has four seasons. In the summer you will experience dry hot days (in the 100 degree range) and pleasant cooler evenings. The sun is bright and the skys are deep blue during the day and clear and starry at night! The Fall is truly an amazing time in Lancaster. Temperatures are cool and crisp and the skys are bright blue and clear showcasing the incredible mountain vistas that surround the Valley. Winters are usually a surprise as we never know what to expect with our snowfall. Temperatures typically get into the teens and sometimes single digits. Some years the snowfall is just a few inches casting a gentle white blanket on the Valley floor. Other years it can be a white Christmas adding days of delight to school kids' winter vacation! No matter what, the mountains surrounding the Valley host a white blanket on the peaks and in Lancaster, "never count out the snow" until after Easter!! Spring brings the wildflowers and the winds and breezes of the season's change. Rainfall is a blessing whenever it comes as our annual rainfall is only 4-6 inches.
What animals live in the wild in the High Desert?
It is very common to see coyotes, California quail, jackrabbits and cotton tails. Snakes of course are at home here, and care must be taken as the Mojave Green is an extremely venomous neighbor. Roadrunners are seen on occasion, along with kangaroo rats and every once in a while, a bear will stray into town from the local mountains!! The Valley offers a great place for birding, and several varieties of owl inhabit the area.
What is the history of the area?
The Antelope Valley was a major trade route for Native Americans, and our AV Indian Museum has an amazing number of exhibits chronicling this part of our history. Following the Indian heritage comes farming and then in recent decades we became the Aerospace Valley, home to flight innovation back to Chuck Yeager's breaking of the sound barrier to the first landing of the space shuttle at Edwards Air Force Base. In recent years, the Mojave Air & Space Port is home to Space Ship 1, the first commercial space carrier.
What is Destination Lancaster?
Destination Lancaster is a public/private partnership between the City of Lancaster and the Antelope Valley Fair Board to promote the area assets to visitors. Partnering with the local hospitality industry, Destination Lancaster supports a collaborative effort to market Lancaster to friends and visitors.
