Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0Nevada City gets more rain and snow than 95% of U.S. towns: 56 inches of precipitation a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 35°. Temperatures cover 54° across the year, low to high. Its January nights stay gentler than in 80% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from April to June and September to October brings highs of 63–83°.
A year in Nevada City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nevada City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nevada City’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Nevada City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 218 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Nevada City, CA, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nevada City’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Nevada City, CA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Nevada City
83% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Nevada City, CA.
Living with Nevada City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
218 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 14 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 6.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nevada City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nevada City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Nevada City yet.
Climates most like Nevada City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada City, CA | 35° | 89° | 56" | 15" |
| Douglasville, GA | 33° | 89° | 53" | 3.8" |
| Rainsville, AL | 31° | 87° | 57" | 5.0" |
| Middle Valley, TN | 31° | 89° | 55" | 4.3" |
| Lyman, SC | 32° | 89° | 52" | 3.9" |
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 Nevada City averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Nevada City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nevada City’s place among California’s.
Nevada City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nevada City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Nevada City, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 35° | 9.8" | 2.3" | 14 | 2 | 39° – 50° |
| February | 54° | 36° | 9.4" | 4.6" | 12 | 4 | 37° – 52° |
| March | 58° | 38° | 8.5" | 3.2" | 12 | 3 | 40° – 56° |
| April | 63° | 41° | 4.6" | 0.9" | 9 | 1 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 54° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 60° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| August | 88° | 60° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 83° | 55° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| October | 72° | 47° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| November | 59° | 40° | 5.8" | 0.8" | 9 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| December | 51° | 35° | 11.0" | 2.7" | 12 | 2 | 39° – 48° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 56.1" | 14.5" | 85 | 13 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 68°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Nevada City’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 Nevada City’s center.
- Snow: Nevada City, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Nevada City, CA, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- 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 Nevada City’s climate
What is the weather like in Nevada City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nevada City in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 49 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Nevada City get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Nevada City, CA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.
How hot does it get in Nevada City?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 60°. About 30 days a year reach 90° (Nevada City, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Nevada City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 218 frost-free days, at Nevada City, CA.
What growing zone is Nevada City in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Nevada City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Nevada City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nevada City.
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.