Photo: Soundsfancy · CC BY-SA 4.0Cold Springs is drier than 94% of U.S. towns: 13 inches of precipitation a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 88°. Its July heat outdoes that of 67% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. The heating season runs November to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Cold Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cold Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cold Springs’ place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Cold Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stead, NV, 7 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cold Springs’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Stead, NV, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 44 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cold Springs
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Stead, NV.
Living with Cold Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 8 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 43 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cold Springs from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cold Springs and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cold Springs in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cold 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
| 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 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 Cold Springs averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Cold Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cold Springs’ place among Nevada’s.
Cold Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cold Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stead, NV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 23° | 2.2" | 4.0" | 6 | 25° – 41° |
| February | 47° | 25° | 2.0" | 3.1" | 6 | 30° – 44° |
| March | 53° | 29° | 1.7" | 2.5" | 5 | 34° – 48° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 0.8" | 0.6" | 4 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 40° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 46° – 62° |
| June | 79° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 88° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 64° – 74° |
| August | 87° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 79° | 45° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 66° | 36° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 52° | 28° | 1.3" | 1.0" | 4 | 30° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 22° | 2.2" | 5.4" | 5 | 27° – 36° |
| Year | 64° | 36° | 13.3" | 16.7" | 44 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Cold 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 Cold Springs’ center.
- Snow: Stead, NV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stead, NV, 7 miles from the town’s center, 280 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 Cold Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Cold Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cold Springs in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Cold Springs get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Stead, NV, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Cold Springs?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 53°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Stead, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Cold Springs?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 150 frost-free days, at Stead, NV.
What growing zone is Cold Springs in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cold Springs?
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 Cold Springs getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cold 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.