Photo: TheConduqtor · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Washoe Valley: 11 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 24°. Winter and summer sit 65° apart. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 70% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 4 to October 6.
A year in Washoe Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Washoe Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Washoe Valley’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Washoe Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Carson City, NV, 12 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Washoe Valley’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Carson City, NV, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 38 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Washoe Valley
91% 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 Carson City, NV.
Living with Washoe Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 6.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Washoe Valley from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Washoe Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Washoe Valley yet.
Climates most like Washoe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washoe Valley, NV | 24° | 89° | 11" | 14" |
| East Wenatchee, WA | 24° | 88° | 10" | 17" |
| Madras, OR | 26° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
| Burley, ID | 21° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
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 Washoe Valley averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Washoe Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Washoe Valley’s place among Nevada’s.
Washoe Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Washoe Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Carson City, NV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 24° | 1.8" | 3.6" | 6 | 3 | 27° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 27° | 1.7" | 1.7" | 6 | 2 | 31° – 46° |
| March | 55° | 31° | 1.3" | 1.6" | 5 | 1 | 35° – 49° |
| April | 60° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 41° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 63° |
| June | 80° | 48° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 89° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 87° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 46° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 67° | 37° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 29° | 1.0" | 0.7" | 3 | 1 | 31° – 48° |
| December | 44° | 23° | 1.9" | 6.4" | 5 | 3 | 29° – 37° |
| Year | 65° | 37° | 11.2" | 14.0" | 38 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Washoe 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 Washoe Valley’s center.
- Snow: Carson City, NV.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carson City, NV, 12 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft lower; 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 Washoe Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Washoe Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Washoe Valley in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 146 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Washoe Valley get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Carson City, NV, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Washoe Valley?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 55°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Carson City, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Washoe Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 152 frost-free days, at Carson City, NV.
What growing zone is Washoe Valley in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Washoe 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 Washoe Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Washoe 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.