Lena N. Gale Cabin · Photo: Semiautonomous · CC BY-SA 4.0Zephyr Cove gets about 179 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 31 U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 79°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to May, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Zephyr Cove at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Zephyr Cove’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Zephyr Cove’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Zephyr Cove feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Glenbrook, NV, 4 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Zephyr Cove’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 179 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tahoe City, CA, is heaviest from January through February, about 40 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 77 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Zephyr Cove
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Glenbrook, NV.
Living with Zephyr Cove’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Jun 5 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 6.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Zephyr Cove from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Zephyr Cove and its neighbors
Kingsbury has the coldest January nights next door (23°, 2° colder) and Round Hill Village the hottest July afternoons (80°, 2° 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 Zephyr Cove’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zephyr Cove, NV | 25° | 79° | 18" | 179" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Evergreen, CO | 16° | 81° | 19" | 130" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Traverse City, MI | 17° | 79° | 32" | 101" |
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 Zephyr Cove averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Zephyr Cove compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Zephyr Cove’s place among Nevada’s.
Zephyr Cove weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Zephyr Cove’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tahoe City, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 3.3" | 37.9" | 11 | 27 | 27° – 40° |
| February | 43° | 25° | 2.9" | 41.3" | 10 | 24 | 26° – 42° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 2.6" | 34.7" | 10 | 26 | 30° – 44° |
| April | 52° | 30° | 1.2" | 14.0" | 8 | 14 | 36° – 47° |
| May | 61° | 37° | 1.1" | 2.8" | 7 | 2 | 42° – 56° |
| June | 70° | 44° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| July | 79° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| August | 78° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| October | 60° | 37° | 1.1" | 2.4" | 4 | 1 | 45° – 54° |
| November | 49° | 30° | 1.7" | 9.4" | 7 | 7 | 29° – 46° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 2.9" | 36.2" | 11 | 24 | 28° – 36° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 18.2" | 179.0" | 77 | 124 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 46°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Zephyr Cove’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 Zephyr Cove’s center.
- Snow: Tahoe City, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glenbrook, NV, 4 miles from the town’s center, 350 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 Zephyr Cove’s climate
What is the weather like in Zephyr Cove?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 179 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Zephyr Cove in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Zephyr Cove get?
About 179 inches in a normal winter at Tahoe City, CA, heaviest from January through February, about 40 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 124 days a year.
How hot does it get in Zephyr Cove?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Glenbrook, NV.
When is the first and last frost in Zephyr Cove?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 5 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 126 frost-free days, at Glenbrook, NV.
What growing zone is Zephyr Cove in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Zephyr Cove?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Zephyr Cove getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Zephyr Cove.
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.