Climate Comfort Score
70/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 79°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Death Valley NP, CA Climate
Annual temperature, rainfall, and a comfort score, sourced from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →
- 79°F
- Avg annual temp
- 70/100
- Comfort score
- 2.2"
- Annual precip
- 352d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Death Valley NP
Death Valley NP, California averages 79°F a year and scores 70/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 66% of U.S. cities.
- 79°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 70/100
- comfort score, milder than 66% of U.S. cities
- 2.2"
- annual precipitation
- 352 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
79°F (26°C)
Avg High
92°F
Avg Low
66°F
Annual Precip
2.2"
Annual Snow
0.0"
Comfort Score
70/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
79°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
2.2"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Death Valley NP) 70.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Death Valley NP area.
How Death Valley NP compares to every U.S. city
Death Valley NP's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
70 Top 34% higher than 66% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Death Valley NP
MethodologyDeath Valley NP's NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits inside a longer story: U.S. land temperatures have been tracking (and drifting from) the global mean since 1900, and the chart below shows that spread, with the most recent decade running warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67°F (20°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 74°F (23°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.5" | 0.0" | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| March | 83°F (28°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 0.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.2 |
| April | 91°F (33°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 78°F (26°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 17.7 |
| May | 101°F (38°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 88°F (31°C) | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 27.4 |
| June | 111°F (44°C) | 84°F (29°C) | 98°F (36°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 29.6 |
| July | 117°F (47°C) | 91°F (33°C) | 104°F (40°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 31.0 |
| August | 116°F (47°C) | 89°F (32°C) | 102°F (39°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 31.0 |
| September | 108°F (42°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 93°F (34°C) | 0.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 29.4 |
| October | 93°F (34°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 21.9 |
| November | 77°F (25°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0.4 | 1.9 |
| December | 66°F (19°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 0.3" | 0.0" | 4.9 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.4"
2.4 days with precipitation
February 0.5"
2.9 days with precipitation
March 0.3"
2.0 days with precipitation
April 0.1"
1.1 days with precipitation
May 0.0"
0.9 days with precipitation
June 0.1"
0.3 days with precipitation
July 0.1"
1.1 days with precipitation
August 0.1"
0.9 days with precipitation
September 0.2"
0.8 days with precipitation
October 0.1"
1.1 days with precipitation
November 0.1"
0.9 days with precipitation
December 0.3"
1.6 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
December 19
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
January 1
50% probability date
Growing Season
352 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
954
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
6,020
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
What Death Valley NP's climate means for you
Death Valley NP runs 79°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in December.
- Gardeners get about 352 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near January 1 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 954 heating and 6,020 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Death Valley NP, CA
The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Death Valley NP, California as a location with an annual average temperature of 79°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 92°F to a mean daily low of 66°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while December is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00042319, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.
Beyond temperature, Death Valley NP averages 2.2 inches of precipitation annually, with negligible snowfall - a real factor for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. The frost-free season averages 352 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near January 1 and the first fall freeze near December 19. Turning to energy use, 954 heating degree days and 6,020 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Death Valley NP scores 70/100 (Good), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. For planning purposes, look to the monthly tables above: shoulder seasons bring the mildest highs and lows, summer brings July-driven heat, and deep winter brings December-driven cold. Treat every figure here as a thirty-year average rather than a forecast - individual years routinely run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Death Valley NP, CA? ▼
The average annual temperature in Death Valley NP, California is 79°F. The warmest month averages 117°F (47°C) and the coldest averages 41°F (5°C).
How much rain does Death Valley NP get? ▼
Death Valley NP receives 2.2 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Death Valley NP? ▼
Death Valley NP has a climate comfort score of 70/100 (Good), milder than 66% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Death Valley NP? ▼
Death Valley NP has approximately 352 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around January 1 and the first fall freeze around December 19.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Death Valley NP? ▼
Death Valley NP has 954 heating degree days and 6,020 cooling degree days annually, a cooling-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Death Valley NP climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00042319 near Death Valley NP.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00042319. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.