Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Smith Valley sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 8 inches a year
July afternoons average 92°. Winter and summer sit 72° apart. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 87% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 23; in half of years the first frost comes by September 28.
A year in Smith Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Smith Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Smith Valley’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Smith Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Smith 6 N, NV, 7 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Smith Valley’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 8 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 37 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at Smith 6 N, NV, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Smith 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 Smith 6 N, NV.
Living with Smith Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 23 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 166 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Smith Valley from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Smith Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Smith Valley yet.
Climates most like Smith 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Valley, NV | 21° | 92° | 8" | 0.7" |
| Socorro, NM | 21° | 94° | 9" | 2.0" |
| West Richland, WA | 28° | 90° | 8" | 2.0" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
| Umatilla, OR | 29° | 91° | 9" | 3.7" |
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 Smith Valley averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 59% 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 Smith Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Smith Valley’s place among Nevada’s.
Smith Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Smith Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Smith 6 N, NV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 21° | 1.2" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 26° – 41° |
| February | 52° | 24° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 34° – 46° |
| March | 59° | 29° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 37° – 50° |
| April | 65° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| May | 74° | 40° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| June | 84° | 47° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 92° | 54° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 91° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 83° | 43° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 70° | 34° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 57° | 25° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 46° | 20° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 68° | 35° | 8.0" | 0.7" | 37 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Smith 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 Smith Valley’s center.
- Snow: Smith 6 N, NV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Smith 6 N, NV, 7 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Smith Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Smith Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 21°, and snow is almost unheard of. Colder January nights than 56% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Smith Valley in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 173 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Smith Valley get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Smith 6 N, NV, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Smith Valley?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 54°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Smith 6 N, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Smith Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 127 frost-free days, at Smith 6 N, NV.
What growing zone is Smith Valley in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Smith 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 Smith Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Smith 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.