Nellis AFB reaches 100° on about 85 days a year, more than all but 83 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 106°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Nellis AFB at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nellis AFB’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nellis AFB’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Nellis AFB feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 311 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 1 and the first by December 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at N Las Vegas, NV, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nellis AFB’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 4 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 21 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at N Las Vegas, NV, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Nellis AFB
34% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at N Las Vegas, NV.
Living with Nellis AFB’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
311 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 1 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November. 2.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Heat waves are 54% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nellis AFB from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nellis AFB and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Nellis AFB in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Nellis AFB’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nellis AFB, NV | 37° | 106° | 4" | 0.0" |
| Maricopa, AZ | 39° | 106° | 7" | 0.0" |
| Garnet, CA | 43° | 105° | 5" | 0.0" |
| Monahans, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 0.7" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Nellis AFB averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Nellis AFB compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nellis AFB’s place among Nevada’s.
Nellis AFB weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nellis AFB’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from N Las Vegas, NV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 37° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| February | 65° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| March | 73° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| April | 81° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| May | 90° | 62° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 69° – 83° |
| June | 101° | 71° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 79° – 91° |
| July | 106° | 77° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 88° – 95° |
| August | 104° | 76° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 87° – 94° |
| September | 97° | 67° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| October | 83° | 55° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| November | 70° | 43° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| December | 59° | 35° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| Year | 82° | 55° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 60°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Nellis AFB’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 Nellis AFB’s center.
- Snow: N Las Vegas, NV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: N Las Vegas, NV, 3 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 Nellis AFB’s climate
What is the weather like in Nellis AFB?
A typical July afternoon reaches 106°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 38 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nellis AFB in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 18 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Nellis AFB get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at N Las Vegas, NV, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Nellis AFB?
July, with a typical high of 106° and a low of 77°. About 142 days a year reach 90° and 85 reach 100° (N Las Vegas, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Nellis AFB?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 1 and the first fall frost by December 8, about 311 frost-free days, at N Las Vegas, NV.
What growing zone is Nellis AFB in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Nellis AFB?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Nellis AFB getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nellis AFB.
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.