Grass Valley’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Grass Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Grass Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Grass Valley’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Grass Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 108 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Winnemucca Muni Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Grass Valley’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Winnemucca Muni Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 70 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Grass Valley
90% 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 Winnemucca Muni Airport.
Living with Grass Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
108 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 31 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Grass Valley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Grass Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Grass Valley yet.
Climates most like Grass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grass Valley, NV | 20° | 94° | 8" | 22" |
| Delta, CO | 17° | 93° | 9" | 22" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
| Payette, ID | 23° | 94° | 10" | 15" |
| North Valley, NM | 21° | 93° | 10" | 12" |
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 Grass Valley averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Grass Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Grass Valley’s place among Nevada’s.
Grass Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Grass Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Winnemucca Muni Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 20° | 0.9" | 4.4" | 9 | 9 | 17° – 40° |
| February | 48° | 23° | 0.7" | 3.7" | 8 | 5 | 30° – 42° |
| March | 57° | 28° | 0.8" | 3.0" | 8 | 2 | 36° – 47° |
| April | 62° | 32° | 1.0" | 1.8" | 8 | 1 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 72° | 40° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 64° |
| June | 83° | 47° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| July | 94° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 92° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 82° | 42° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 68° | 32° | 0.7" | 0.5" | 4 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 53° | 24° | 0.7" | 2.6" | 6 | 2 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 42° | 18° | 1.0" | 5.9" | 8 | 9 | 20° – 36° |
| Year | 66° | 34° | 8.2" | 22.0" | 70 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 40°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Grass 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 Grass Valley’s center.
- Snow: Winnemucca Muni Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Winnemucca Muni Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Grass Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Grass Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Grass Valley in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Grass Valley get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Winnemucca Muni Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in Grass Valley?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 55°. About 66 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Winnemucca Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Grass Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 17, about 108 frost-free days, at Winnemucca Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Grass Valley 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 Grass Valley?
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 Grass Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Grass 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.