Searles Valley reaches 100° on about 78 days a year, more than all but 101 U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 36°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on almost every U.S. town. The latest 30-year average runs 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with September up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly February 15 to November 28.
A year in Searles Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Searles Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Searles Valley’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Searles Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 285 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 15 and the first by November 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Trona, CA, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Searles Valley’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 4 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 16 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Trona, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Searles Valley
38% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Trona, CA.
Living with Searles Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
285 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 15 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Searles Valley from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Searles Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Searles Valley yet.
Climates most like Searles Valley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Searles Valley, CA | 36° | 105° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Casa Grande, AZ | 39° | 106° | 8" | 0.0" |
| St. George, UT | 33° | 103° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Moapa Valley, NV | 37° | 108° | 6" | 0.0" |
| Monahans, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 0.7" |
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 Searles Valley averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in September (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Searles Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Searles Valley’s place among California’s.
Searles Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Searles Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Trona, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 36° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| February | 65° | 39° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| March | 72° | 45° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| April | 79° | 50° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| May | 89° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 80° |
| June | 99° | 67° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 88° |
| July | 105° | 74° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 85° – 94° |
| August | 103° | 72° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 85° – 91° |
| September | 96° | 65° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| October | 84° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| November | 70° | 42° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| December | 59° | 35° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| Year | 82° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 64° to 80°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Searles Valley’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 Searles Valley’s center.
- Snow: Trona, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Trona, CA, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower; 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 Searles Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Searles Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 105°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 75 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Searles Valley in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 26 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Searles Valley get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Trona, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Searles Valley?
July, with a typical high of 105° and a low of 74°. About 137 days a year reach 90° and 78 reach 100° (Trona, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Searles Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 15 and the first fall frost by November 28, about 285 frost-free days, at Trona, CA.
What growing zone is Searles Valley 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 Searles Valley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Searles Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Searles Valley.
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.