Mesa Vista is drier than 89% of U.S. towns: 20 inches of precipitation a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 83°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 57°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 69% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to September, with highs of 65–83°.
A year in Mesa Vista at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mesa Vista’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mesa Vista’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Mesa Vista feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 30 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from Minden, NV, 10 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mesa Vista’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 77 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Markleeville, CA, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mesa Vista
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Minden, NV.
Living with Mesa Vista’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 30 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mesa Vista from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mesa Vista and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mesa Vista yet.
Climates most like Mesa Vista’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa Vista, CA | 27° | 83° | 20" | 77" |
| Moscow, ID | 25° | 84° | 25" | 51" |
| Liberty Lake, WA | 25° | 84° | 22" | 45" |
| Bigfork, MT | 19° | 82° | 19" | 51" |
| Castle Pines, CO | 19° | 86° | 17" | 58" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Mesa Vista averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Mesa Vista compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mesa Vista’s place among California’s.
Mesa Vista weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mesa Vista’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Markleeville, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 27° | 3.6" | 11.9" | 10 | 29° – 43° |
| February | 46° | 27° | 3.3" | 20.7" | 9 | 29° – 44° |
| March | 51° | 30° | 2.6" | 13.0" | 8 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 57° | 33° | 1.2" | 6.6" | 6 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 1.0" | 1.1" | 6 | 45° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 47° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 4 | 56° – 66° |
| July | 83° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 54° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 49° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 64° | 40° | 1.3" | 0.8" | 4 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 52° | 32° | 2.1" | 4.0" | 7 | 32° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 27° | 3.2" | 18.7" | 8 | 30° – 39° |
| Year | 62° | 38° | 20.1" | 77.1" | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Mesa Vista’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 Mesa Vista’s center.
- Snow: Markleeville, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Minden, NV, 10 miles from the town’s center, 910 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Mesa Vista’s climate
What is the weather like in Mesa Vista?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 77 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mesa Vista in winter?
December nights average 27°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Mesa Vista get?
About 77 inches in a normal winter at Markleeville, CA, most of it in February and December.
How hot does it get in Mesa Vista?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 55°. About 68 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Minden, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Mesa Vista?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 30 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 119 frost-free days, at Minden, NV.
What growing zone is Mesa Vista in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mesa Vista?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mesa Vista getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mesa Vista.
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.