Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Sun Valley’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Sun Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sun Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sun Valley’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Sun Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stead, NV, 6 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sun Valley’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Reno 1.4 Nne, NV, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 56 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sun 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 Stead, NV.
Living with Sun Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 8 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 63 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sun Valley from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sun Valley and its neighbors
Sparks the hottest July afternoons (92°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Valley, NV | 25° | 90° | 9" | 33" |
| Twin Falls, ID | 22° | 90° | 10" | 24" |
| Union Gap, WA | 25° | 90° | 9" | 20" |
| Bluffdale, UT | 21° | 92° | 13" | 26" |
| Cañon City, CO | 19° | 90° | 13" | 38" |
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 Sun Valley averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Sun Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sun Valley’s place among Nevada’s.
Sun Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sun Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Reno 1.4 Nne, NV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 25° | 1.5" | 6.6" | 7 | 26° – 43° |
| February | 49° | 28° | 1.3" | 9.6" | 7 | 32° – 45° |
| March | 56° | 32° | 1.1" | 6.1" | 7 | 36° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 35° | 0.5" | 0.9" | 5 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 43° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 6 | 49° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 50° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 90° | 57° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 68° – 78° |
| August | 89° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 80° | 48° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 67° | 38° | 0.6" | 0.2" | 3 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 30° | 0.8" | 2.6" | 4 | 32° – 48° |
| December | 44° | 24° | 1.5" | 7.2" | 7 | 27° – 38° |
| Year | 66° | 39° | 9.2" | 33.3" | 56 |
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 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Sun 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 Sun Valley’s center.
- Snow: Reno 1.4 Nne, NV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stead, NV, 6 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Sun Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Sun Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sun Valley in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Sun Valley get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Reno 1.4 Nne, NV, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Sun Valley?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 57°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Stead, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Sun Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 150 frost-free days, at Stead, NV.
What growing zone is Sun Valley in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sun 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 Sun Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sun 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.