Climate

Weather Forecast for Nevada County

Briefly: Nevada County enjoys a lovely, four-season climate, generally free from any lasting dreadful weather, with temperatures varying by elevation.

Much Less Briefly: Let’s face it, weather is crucial. It dictates much, from our clothing to our outdoor activities to our attitude. Quick, think of your favorite place! What kind of weather are you picturing? Unless your favorite place is Joe’s Bar and Grill you may have just reminded yourself of what kind of weather person you are. And you are in luck, Nevada County has it! This is a county that inclines upwardly. You could almost visualize it as a weather escalator, running up the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. And the western slope is the favored slope by the way, enhanced by rains coming off of the Pacific Ocean and free from the desiccating winds of the Great Basin that characterize the eastern slope. Nevada County’s elevation varies from 1520 feet at Lake of the Pines to 7227 feet at Donner Summit. In general, if you are too hot you can go up the mountain and if you are too cool you can descend. For snow go up, for no snow, go down. There are no hurricanes or tornados and only one flood in recent memory, on New Year’s Day for excitement. Nevada City is near the middle of the county and its elevation is 2477 feet. If you enjoy all four seasons, you aren’t likely to find anywhere that is doing a better job, weather-wise. So let’s take a look at what you can expect seasonally in central Nevada County for example.

Summer: It gets warm to very warm, downright hot at times, but it’s also just what you need to convince yourself to take a day to go to your favorite spot on the Yuba River. Of course gardens grow greatly- tomatoes ripen like eager martyrs and fruit is as sweet as if Norman Rockwell had personally rendered it. Hillside vineyards are turning into what makes a winemaker smile and you will never have to wear a sweater to your Fourth-of-July Picnic (I’m talking to you, coast people). Think sun hats and iced beverages.

Fall: Warm afternoons follow cool mornings where you might catch the scent of cedar smoke as someone lights their fireplace for the first time in months. Stroll around Nevada City and environs for the kind of fall color to get excited about- golden leaves and golden light and maybe even some golden silence- it is calmer now. It may rain but probably not until November, when it’s welcome. “Indian Summer” often comes in October and can be experienced anytime up to Thanksgiving, when it would be too ironic to occur.

Winter: It will snow, but only when you really need it to. This could be for your ski day or a white Christmas or the day you want to not be able to make it in to work. Mostly it will rain to replenish or be cool-to-cold. But not the kind of cold that keeps you from doing things. There are even days in late Winter that masquerade as Spring. Cabin fever is little-known
in these parts. Endless gray weather seldom goes unbroken.

A Final Note: We absolutely refuse to say, “If you don’t like the weather in Nevada County, wait a minute and it will change.” We absolutely refuse. We are also not big on saying, “This is God’s Country!” Or, “You go girl!” for that matter. We just think it’s nice here. Enjoy the weather.