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2014-06-13 12 25 37 View of Spring Creek, Nevada from the summit of "E" Mountain in the Elko Hills of NevadaPhoto: Famartin · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Spring Creek · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Spring Creek’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns#3 coldest of 42 in NV
More snow than 75% of U.S. towns#3Snowiest  of 39 in NV
All NV rankings →

A year in Spring Creek at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan38°15° 10" snow
Feb42°18° 7" snow
Mar51°24° 6" snow
Apr57°29° 3" snow
May68°36° Wettest
Jun78°43° Last frost ~Jun 61 day 90°+
Jul89°49° 9 days 90°+
Aug87°47° 9 days 90°+
Sep78°39° First frost ~Sep 16
Oct64°29°
Nov now49°21° 4" snow
Dec38°14° 10" snow

What stands out about Spring Creek’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spring Creek’s place in Nevada beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Spring Creek feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
39° / 16°
14 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
59° / 30°
Last frost around Jun 6
Summer
85° / 46°
19 days reach 90°
Fall
64° / 30°
First frost around Sep 16
Best months to be outsideJunHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 100 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 6 and the first by September 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lamoille Yost, NV, 4 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft higher.

200
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
2nd most of 42 in Nevada
More freezing nights than all but 84 U.S. towns
8
nights at or below 0°
3rd most of 42 in Nevada
More nights at or below 0° than 78% of U.S. towns
19
days that reach 90°
2nd fewest of 42 in Nevada
Fewer 90° days than 51% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
40th most of 42 in Nevada
More 100° days than 52% of U.S. towns
5bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 5b

The 2023 USDA map puts Spring Creek’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

30
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

8.8
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 41 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Elko Rgnl Airport, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 79 days a year.

14"
Rain + melted snow a year
40th driest of 42 in Nevada
Drier than 94% of U.S. towns
41"
Snow in a normal winter
3rd snowiest of 39 in Nevada
More snow than 75% of U.S. towns
49 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
3rd most of 32 in Nevada
More days with snow on the ground than 73% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

2.2"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

10"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Spring Creek

96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.

7,379 heating degree daysMore heating than 91% of U.S. towns
276 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 95% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lamoille Yost, NV.

Living here

Living with Spring Creek’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

100 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 6 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 16.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June. 32 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spring Creek from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (91%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Spring Creek and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Spring Creek yet.

Climates most like Spring Creek’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Spring Creek, NV15°89°14"41"
Billings, MT15°89°14"48"
Loveland, CO16°89°15"47"
Hyde Park, UT14°89°16"44"
Chubbuck, ID17°88°12"39"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Spring Creek averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).

+0.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 91% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.1°now 28°, was 27°
Spring+0.7°now 44°, was 43°
Summer+0.8°now 65°, was 65°
Fall+0.5°now 47°, was 46°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Spring Creek compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spring Creek’s place among Nevada’s.

Summer heat89° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns36th hottest of 42 in Nevada
Winter cold15° January low
Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns3rd coldest of 42 in Nevada
Precipitation14" a year
Drier than 94% of U.S. towns40th driest of 42 in Nevada
Snow41" a winter
More snow than 75% of U.S. towns3rd snowiest of 39 in Nevada
Hot days19 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 51% of U.S. towns2nd fewest of 42 in Nevada
Freezing nights200 a year
More freezing nights than all but 84 U.S. towns2nd most of 42 in Nevada
Growing season100 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than all but 33 U.S. towns2nd shortest of 41 in Nevada
Month by month

Spring Creek weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spring Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elko Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January38°15°1.3"10.4"91819° – 36°
February42°18°1.1"6.8"81222° – 38°
March51°24°1.6"5.5"8332° – 43°
April57°29°1.8"3.3"9139° – 49°
May68°36°2.2"0.4"9044° – 58°
June78°43°0.9"0.0"4055° – 66°
July89°49°0.5"0.0"3060° – 73°
August87°47°0.4"0.0"3063° – 71°
September78°39°0.7"0.0"4055° – 62°
October64°29°1.0"0.5"5040° – 52°
November49°21°1.1"4.1"7226° – 41°
December38°14°1.2"10.2"91320° – 30°
Year62°30°13.7"41.2"7949
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 36°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Spring Creek’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 Spring Creek’s center.
  • Snow: Elko Rgnl Airport.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lamoille Yost, NV, 4 miles from the town’s center, 260 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 Spring Creek’s climate

What is the weather like in Spring Creek?

A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Spring Creek in winter?

December nights average 14°. About 200 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.

How much snow does Spring Creek get?

About 41 inches in a normal winter at Elko Rgnl Airport, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 49 days a year.

How hot does it get in Spring Creek?

July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 49°. About 19 days a year reach 90° (Lamoille Yost, NV).

When is the first and last frost in Spring Creek?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 6 and the first fall frost by September 16, about 100 frost-free days, at Lamoille Yost, NV.

What growing zone is Spring Creek in?

Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.

What is the best time of year to visit Spring Creek?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Spring Creek getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Spring Creek.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.