Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0Fernley reaches 100° on about 16 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Fernley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fernley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fernley’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Fernley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 188 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lahontan Dam, NV, 9 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fernley’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fallon Exp Stn, NV, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 6 inches a year; January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 38 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fernley
76% 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 Lahontan Dam, NV.
Living with Fernley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
188 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 262 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fernley from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fernley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fernley yet.
Climates most like Fernley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernley, NV | 25° | 93° | 6" | 4.5" |
| Belen, NM | 23° | 93° | 10" | 5.1" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
| Umatilla, OR | 29° | 91° | 9" | 3.7" |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 27° | 92° | 11" | 10" |
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 Fernley averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 70% 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 Fernley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fernley’s place among Nevada’s.
Fernley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fernley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fallon Exp Stn, NV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 25° | 0.8" | 1.8" | 5 | 1 | 27° – 43° |
| February | 51° | 28° | 0.7" | 0.7" | 4 | 0 | 35° – 46° |
| March | 58° | 33° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 37° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 45° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 84° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 93° | 61° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| August | 91° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 82° | 50° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 68° | 39° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 29° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 33° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 23° | 0.8" | 1.4" | 4 | 0 | 25° – 40° |
| Year | 67° | 40° | 5.9" | 4.5" | 38 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 43°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Fernley’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 Fernley’s center.
- Snow: Fallon Exp Stn, NV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lahontan Dam, NV, 9 miles from the town’s center, 250 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 Fernley’s climate
What is the weather like in Fernley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fernley in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 111 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Fernley get?
About 4.5 inches in a normal winter at Fallon Exp Stn, NV, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fernley?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 61°. About 82 days a year reach 90° and 16 reach 100° (Lahontan Dam, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Fernley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 188 frost-free days, at Lahontan Dam, NV.
What growing zone is Fernley in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fernley?
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 Fernley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fernley.
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.