Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Dry Valley: 12 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 19°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in February and the lightest in June. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 88% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, May and September bring highs of 74–82°.
A year in Dry Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dry Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dry Valley’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Dry Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cathedral Gorge Sp, NV, 8 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dry Valley’s center in zone 6b: 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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cathedral Gorge Sp, NV, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 53 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dry Valley
88% 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 Cathedral Gorge Sp, NV.
Living with Dry Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dry Valley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dry Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dry Valley yet.
Climates most like Dry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Valley, NV | 19° | 92° | 12" | 12" |
| Pueblo West, CO | 19° | 92° | 12" | 15" |
| Aztec, NM | 18° | 91° | 10" | 11" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Middleton, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 9.7" |
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 Dry Valley averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Dry Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dry Valley’s place among Nevada’s.
Dry Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dry Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cathedral Gorge Sp, NV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 19° | 1.1" | 2.9" | 5 | 27° – 41° |
| February | 50° | 23° | 1.4" | 2.5" | 6 | 29° – 44° |
| March | 58° | 28° | 1.3" | 1.8" | 6 | 36° – 49° |
| April | 65° | 33° | 0.7" | 0.2" | 4 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 74° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 5 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 86° | 49° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 60° – 72° |
| July | 92° | 56° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 90° | 54° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 70° – 76° |
| September | 82° | 46° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 61° – 67° |
| October | 69° | 35° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 56° | 25° | 0.6" | 0.8" | 3 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 46° | 18° | 1.1" | 3.6" | 5 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 68° | 36° | 11.5" | 12.1" | 53 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Dry 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 Dry Valley’s center.
- Snow: Cathedral Gorge Sp, NV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cathedral Gorge Sp, NV, 8 miles from the town’s center, 360 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 Dry Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Dry Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dry Valley in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Dry Valley get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Cathedral Gorge Sp, NV, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Dry Valley?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 56°. About 68 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Cathedral Gorge Sp, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Dry Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 142 frost-free days, at Cathedral Gorge Sp, NV.
What growing zone is Dry Valley in?
Zone 6b 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 Dry Valley?
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 Dry Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dry 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.