Photo: Scottthezombie · CC BY-SA 4.0Mount Charleston is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 17 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 27°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 75% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Mount Charleston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mount Charleston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mount Charleston’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Mount Charleston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 17 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Living with Mount Charleston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 7a.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 63 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mount Charleston from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mount Charleston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mount Charleston yet.
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 Mount Charleston averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Mount Charleston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mount Charleston’s place among Nevada’s.
Mount Charleston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mount Charleston’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 27° | 2.5" | 32° – 43° |
| February | 46° | 26° | 2.8" | 29° – 43° |
| March | 51° | 30° | 2.0" | 34° – 47° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 0.8" | 39° – 50° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 0.5" | 47° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 52° | 0.2" | 58° – 70° |
| July | 83° | 59° | 1.3" | 67° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 58° | 1.4" | 66° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 1.0" | 59° – 65° |
| October | 62° | 40° | 1.4" | 47° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 31° | 0.9" | 34° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 26° | 2.0" | 32° – 41° |
| Year | 62° | 40° | 16.7" |
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 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Mount Charleston’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 Mount Charleston’s center.
- 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 Mount Charleston’s climate
What is the weather like in Mount Charleston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 27°. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mount Charleston in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 193 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 32°.
How hot does it get in Mount Charleston?
July, with a typical high of 83°. 90° days are rare.
What growing zone is Mount Charleston in?
Zone 7a 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 Mount Charleston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mount Charleston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mount Charleston.
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.