Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Altamont: 10 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 11°. Its January nights bite harder than in 93% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.8° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 31, with the first autumn frost due around September 23.
A year in Altamont at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Altamont’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Altamont’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Altamont feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 112 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Altamont, UT, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Altamont’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Altamont, UT, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; September is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Altamont
98% 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 Altamont, UT.
Living with Altamont’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
112 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 31 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Altamont from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Altamont and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Altamont yet.
Climates most like Altamont’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altamont, UT | 11° | 85° | 10" | 39" |
| Salida, CO | 10° | 85° | 8" | 37" |
| Helena Valley West Central, MT | 15° | 85° | 11" | 37" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
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 Altamont averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Altamont compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Altamont’s place among Utah’s.
Altamont weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Altamont’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Altamont, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 11° | 0.7" | 10.8" | 5 | 25 | 11° – 28° |
| February | 38° | 16° | 0.7" | 7.5" | 5 | 21 | 18° – 36° |
| March | 49° | 25° | 0.6" | 3.0" | 4 | 8 | 30° – 43° |
| April | 57° | 31° | 0.8" | 3.2" | 5 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| June | 78° | 47° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 53° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 44° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| October | 60° | 33° | 1.0" | 0.8" | 5 | 1 | 39° – 53° |
| November | 45° | 22° | 0.6" | 4.2" | 4 | 4 | 26° – 40° |
| December | 33° | 12° | 0.7" | 9.0" | 5 | 19 | 13° – 29° |
| Year | 58° | 32° | 9.9" | 38.7" | 62 | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 36°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Altamont’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 Altamont’s center.
- Snow: Altamont, UT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Altamont, UT, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Altamont’s climate
What is the weather like in Altamont?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Altamont in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 194 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Altamont get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Altamont, UT, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 79 days a year.
How hot does it get in Altamont?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 54°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Altamont, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Altamont?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 112 frost-free days, at Altamont, UT.
What growing zone is Altamont in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Altamont?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Altamont getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Altamont.
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.