Photo: Ikluft · CC BY-SA 3.0Gerlach is among the driest of U.S. towns: 7 inches of precipitation a year
Expect July afternoons of about 94°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 94% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Gerlach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gerlach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gerlach’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Gerlach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gerlach, NV, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gerlach’s center in zone 7a: 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gerlach, NV, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 7 inches a year; January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 54 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gerlach
82% 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 Gerlach, NV.
Living with Gerlach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 6.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gerlach from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (62%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gerlach and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gerlach yet.
Climates most like Gerlach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerlach, NV | 23° | 94° | 7" | 13" |
| Albuquerque, NM | 22° | 94° | 9" | 12" |
| Payette, ID | 23° | 94° | 10" | 15" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
| Orchard Mesa, CO | 18° | 94° | 9" | 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 Gerlach averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Gerlach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gerlach’s place among Nevada’s.
Gerlach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gerlach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gerlach, NV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 23° | 1.0" | 3.3" | 7 | 4 | 24° – 42° |
| February | 50° | 27° | 0.7" | 1.4" | 6 | 2 | 32° – 45° |
| March | 58° | 31° | 0.7" | 1.4" | 6 | 0 | 38° – 51° |
| April | 65° | 36° | 0.6" | 0.5" | 5 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 74° | 44° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 67° |
| June | 85° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| July | 94° | 60° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| August | 92° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| September | 83° | 48° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 69° | 37° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| November | 54° | 28° | 0.7" | 1.5" | 5 | 0 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 22° | 0.9" | 4.9" | 6 | 4 | 24° – 38° |
| Year | 68° | 39° | 7.0" | 13.0" | 54 | 10 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 42°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Gerlach’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 Gerlach’s center.
- Snow: Gerlach, NV (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gerlach, NV, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Gerlach’s climate
What is the weather like in Gerlach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gerlach in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 131 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Gerlach get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Gerlach, NV, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 10 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gerlach?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 60°. About 62 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Gerlach, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Gerlach?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 169 frost-free days, at Gerlach, NV.
What growing zone is Gerlach in?
Zone 7a 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 Gerlach?
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 Gerlach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gerlach.
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.