Fruitvale sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 10 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 94°. A year here swings 75° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 93% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 23, with the first autumn frost due around October 20.
A year in Fruitvale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fruitvale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fruitvale’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Fruitvale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grand Junction 6ese, CO, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fruitvale’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Grand Junction 6ese, CO, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; September is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 63 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fruitvale
80% of the work is heating. 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 Grand Junction 6ese, CO.
Living with Fruitvale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fruitvale from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fruitvale and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fruitvale in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fruitvale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruitvale, CO | 19° | 94° | 10" | 13" |
| North Valley, NM | 21° | 93° | 10" | 12" |
| Payette, ID | 23° | 94° | 10" | 15" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
| Winnemucca, NV | 21° | 93° | 8" | 22" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Fruitvale averaged 2.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in all but 2 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 Fruitvale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fruitvale’s place among Colorado’s.
Fruitvale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fruitvale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grand Junction 6ese, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 19° | 0.6" | 3.4" | 5 | 10 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 47° | 25° | 0.6" | 2.1" | 6 | 3 | 30° – 43° |
| March | 59° | 32° | 0.8" | 1.1" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 51° |
| April | 66° | 38° | 1.0" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| May | 77° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 89° | 56° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| July | 94° | 63° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 60° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| September | 82° | 52° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 68° | 39° | 1.1" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 53° | 28° | 0.7" | 1.7" | 4 | 2 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 40° | 19° | 0.6" | 3.5" | 4 | 7 | 22° – 36° |
| Year | 67° | 40° | 9.7" | 12.6" | 63 | 22 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Fruitvale’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 Fruitvale’s center.
- Snow: Grand Junction 6ese, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grand Junction 6ese, CO, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Fruitvale’s climate
What is the weather like in Fruitvale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fruitvale in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 128 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Fruitvale get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Grand Junction 6ese, CO, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 22 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fruitvale?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 63°. About 67 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Grand Junction 6ese, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Fruitvale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 179 frost-free days, at Grand Junction 6ese, CO.
What growing zone is Fruitvale in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fruitvale?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fruitvale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 2 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fruitvale.
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.