Carter Springs is among the driest of U.S. towns: 11 inches of precipitation a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 25° on average. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 64% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.2° rise. Plan time outside for May, June and September, when highs sit at 69–79°.
A year in Carter Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carter Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carter Springs’ place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Carter Springs 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, 11 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carter Springs’ 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Topaz Lake, NV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; January is the wettest month and September 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 Carter Springs
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 Carter Springs’ 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: May, June and September. 17 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carter Springs from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carter Springs and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Carter Springs yet.
Climates most like Carter Springs’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter Springs, NV | 25° | 87° | 11" | 18" |
| East Wenatchee, WA | 24° | 88° | 10" | 17" |
| Madras, OR | 26° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
| Burley, ID | 21° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
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 Carter Springs averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
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 Carter Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carter Springs’ place among Nevada’s.
Carter Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carter Springs’ 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 | 45° | 25° | 1.8" | 5.8" | 3 | 6 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 27° | 1.7" | 3.0" | 2 | 4 | 30° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 31° | 1.5" | 3.1" | 3 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| April | 60° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 41° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| June | 79° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 87° | 56° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 86° | 54° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 67° | 38° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 54° | 29° | 1.0" | 1.5" | 2 | 1 | 32° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 24° | 1.6" | 4.6" | 5 | 4 | 30° – 38° |
| Year | 64° | 38° | 10.6" | 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 32° to 48°. December is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Carter Springs’ 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 Carter Springs’ center.
- Snow: Topaz Lake, NV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Topaz Lake, NV, 11 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Carter Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Carter Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carter Springs in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 154 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Carter Springs 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 Carter Springs?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 56°. About 57 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Topaz Lake, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Carter Springs?
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 Carter Springs 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 Carter Springs?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Carter Springs 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 Carter Springs.
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.