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2013-09-19 09 56 20 View of downtown Eureka, NevadaPhoto: Famartin · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Eureka · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Eureka’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 80% of U.S. towns#3Snowiest  of 40 in NV
Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns#5 coldest of 43 in NV
All NV rankings →

A year in Eureka at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan39°17° 9" snow
Feb42°20° 12" snow
Mar50°26° 7" snow
Apr56°29° 5" snowWettest
May66°37°
Jun78°44° Last frost ~Jun 21 day 90°+
Jul86°53° 8 days 90°+
Aug85°51° 3 days 90°+
Sep76°43° First frost ~Sep 29
Oct63°33°
Nov now49°24° 3" snow
Dec39°17° 10" snow

What stands out about Eureka’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Eureka’s place in Nevada beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Eureka feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
40° / 18°
11 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
57° / 31°
Last frost around Jun 2
Summer
83° / 49°
13 days reach 90°
Fall
62° / 33°
First frost around Sep 29
Best months to be outsideJunSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 119 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 2 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Eureka, NV, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.

186
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
8th most of 43 in Nevada
More freezing nights than all but 191 U.S. towns
3
nights at or below 0°
5th most of 43 in Nevada
More nights at or below 0° than 60% of U.S. towns
13
days that reach 90°
2nd fewest of 43 in Nevada
Fewer 90° days than 67% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
6bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6b

The 2023 USDA map puts Eureka’s center in zone 6b: 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°

30
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

7.5
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 47 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Eureka, NV, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; April is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 55 days a year.

11"
Rain + melted snow a year
33rd driest of 43 in Nevada
Drier than 97% of U.S. towns
47"
Snow in a normal winter
3rd snowiest of 40 in Nevada
More snow than 80% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

1.3"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

12"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Eureka

96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.

7,155 heating degree daysMore heating than 89% of U.S. towns
334 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 93% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Eureka, NV.

Living here

Living with Eureka’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

119 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 2 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 29.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 5.5 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Eureka from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Eureka and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Eureka yet.

Climates most like Eureka’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Eureka, NV17°86°11"47"
Orchard Homes, MT18°86°13"43"
Chubbuck, ID17°88°12"39"
Cody, WY14°85°11"45"
Altamont, OR22°86°13"52"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Eureka averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 77% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.0°now 29°, was 27°
Spring+1.8°now 44°, was 42°
Summer+1.9°now 66°, was 64°
Fall+1.4°now 48°, was 46°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Eureka compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Eureka’s place among Nevada’s.

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns41st hottest of 43 in Nevada
Winter cold17° January low
Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns5th coldest of 43 in Nevada
Precipitation11" a year
Drier than 97% of U.S. towns33rd driest of 43 in Nevada
Snow47" a winter
More snow than 80% of U.S. towns3rd snowiest of 40 in Nevada
Hot days13 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 67% of U.S. towns2nd fewest of 43 in Nevada
Freezing nights186 a year
More freezing nights than all but 191 U.S. towns8th most of 43 in Nevada
Growing season119 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than all but 116 U.S. towns4th shortest of 42 in Nevada
Month by month

Eureka weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Eureka’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Eureka, NV. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January39°17°1.0"8.8"621° – 37°
February42°20°1.1"11.9"623° – 40°
March50°26°1.2"7.4"632° – 44°
April56°29°1.3"4.5"637° – 50°
May66°37°1.2"0.8"544° – 58°
June78°44°0.6"0.0"255° – 67°
July86°53°0.6"0.0"363° – 73°
August85°51°0.6"0.0"365° – 72°
September76°43°0.8"0.1"356° – 63°
October63°33°0.8"0.6"441° – 53°
November49°24°0.8"3.4"526° – 43°
December39°17°0.9"9.8"622° – 33°
Year61°33°10.8"47.3"55
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Eureka’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 Eureka’s center.
  • Snow: Eureka, NV (NOAA station in town).
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Eureka, NV, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Eureka’s climate

What is the weather like in Eureka?

A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Eureka in winter?

December nights average 17°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.

How much snow does Eureka get?

About 47 inches in a normal winter at Eureka, NV, most of it in February.

How hot does it get in Eureka?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 53°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Eureka, NV).

When is the first and last frost in Eureka?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 2 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 119 frost-free days, at Eureka, NV.

What growing zone is Eureka in?

Zone 6b 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 Eureka?

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 Eureka getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Eureka.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.