1938 Lincoln County Courthouse · Photo: Calvin Beale · Public domainPioche’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 90°
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 23°.
A year in Pioche at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pioche’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pioche’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Pioche feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pioche, NV, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pioche’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 rain a year
February is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Pioche
89% 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 Pioche, NV.
Living with Pioche’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 9.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pioche from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pioche and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pioche 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 Pioche averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Pioche compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pioche’s place among Nevada’s.
Pioche weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pioche’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 23° | 1.4" | 28° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 25° | 1.7" | 29° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 31° | 1.5" | 37° – 48° |
| April | 62° | 36° | 0.8" | 42° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 43° | 0.9" | 51° – 63° |
| June | 83° | 52° | 0.5" | 60° – 72° |
| July | 90° | 59° | 1.0" | 71° – 78° |
| August | 88° | 58° | 1.2" | 70° – 76° |
| September | 80° | 49° | 0.9" | 61° – 68° |
| October | 67° | 39° | 1.4" | 47° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 28° | 0.7" | 31° – 47° |
| December | 44° | 22° | 1.3" | 27° – 38° |
| Year | 66° | 39° | 13.1" |
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 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Pioche’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 Pioche’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pioche, NV, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft higher; 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 Pioche’s climate
What is the weather like in Pioche?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 23°. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pioche in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How hot does it get in Pioche?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 59°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Pioche, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Pioche?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 166 frost-free days, at Pioche, NV.
What growing zone is Pioche in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pioche?
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 Pioche getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pioche.
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.