Topaz sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 10 inches a year
January nights here settle around 21°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 70°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 78% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Topaz at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Topaz’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Topaz’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Topaz feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Topaz Lake, NV, 7 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Topaz’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Topaz Lake, NV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 28 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Topaz
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Topaz Lake, NV.
Living with Topaz’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Topaz from natural hazards, river flooding is 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 →Topaz and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Topaz yet.
Climates most like Topaz’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topaz, CA | 21° | 90° | 10" | 18" |
| Jerome, ID | 21° | 90° | 10" | 24" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Terrace Heights, WA | 25° | 89° | 9" | 20" |
| White Rock, NM | 18° | 89° | 13" | 20" |
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 Topaz averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Topaz compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Topaz’s place among California’s.
Topaz weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Topaz’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Topaz Lake, NV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 21° | 1.7" | 5.8" | 3 | 6 | 28° – 42° |
| February | 52° | 24° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 2 | 4 | 31° – 46° |
| March | 58° | 29° | 1.4" | 3.1" | 3 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 32° | 0.7" | 0.3" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 39° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 63° |
| June | 82° | 45° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 90° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 89° | 49° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 81° | 42° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 69° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 57° | 26° | 0.9" | 1.5" | 2 | 1 | 31° – 48° |
| December | 47° | 21° | 1.4" | 4.6" | 5 | 4 | 29° – 40° |
| Year | 67° | 34° | 10.4" | 18.3" | 28 | 16 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Topaz’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 Topaz’s center.
- Snow: Topaz Lake, NV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Topaz Lake, NV, 7 miles from the town’s center, 260 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 Topaz’s climate
What is the weather like in Topaz?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Topaz in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 154 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Topaz get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Topaz Lake, NV, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 16 days a year.
How hot does it get in Topaz?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 51°. About 57 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Topaz Lake, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Topaz?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 145 frost-free days, at Topaz Lake, NV.
What growing zone is Topaz in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Topaz?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Topaz getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Topaz.
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.