Photo: Cooper, in Wiki Commons known as Cooper.ch 18:45, 7 August 2006 (UTC) · CC BY-SA 2.5Rachel is among the driest of U.S. towns: 6 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 22°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 95% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 4, with the first autumn frost due around October 8.
A year in Rachel at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rachel’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rachel’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Rachel feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rachel, NV, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rachel’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 6 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 Rachel
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Rachel, NV.
Living with Rachel’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 4 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May. 4.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rachel from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rachel and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rachel 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 Rachel averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Rachel compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rachel’s place among Nevada’s.
Rachel weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rachel’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 22° | 0.6" | 30° – 43° |
| February | 53° | 26° | 0.8" | 33° – 47° |
| March | 61° | 33° | 0.7" | 41° – 53° |
| April | 68° | 38° | 0.5" | 47° – 57° |
| May | 77° | 46° | 0.4" | 55° – 68° |
| June | 89° | 55° | 0.2" | 66° – 76° |
| July | 95° | 62° | 0.6" | 75° – 82° |
| August | 93° | 60° | 0.6" | 74° – 79° |
| September | 85° | 50° | 0.5" | 65° – 71° |
| October | 72° | 40° | 0.5" | 51° – 61° |
| November | 58° | 29° | 0.4" | 35° – 49° |
| December | 48° | 22° | 0.5" | 29° – 39° |
| Year | 71° | 40° | 6.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Rachel’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 Rachel’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rachel, NV, 1.2 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 Rachel’s climate
What is the weather like in Rachel?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 22°. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rachel in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 168 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 29°.
How hot does it get in Rachel?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 62°. About 80 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Rachel, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Rachel?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 156 frost-free days, at Rachel, NV.
What growing zone is Rachel in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rachel?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rachel getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rachel.
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.