Photo: Tricia Simpson · CC BY-SA 3.0American Fork’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in American Fork at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about American Fork’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with American Fork’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in American Fork feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 188 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pleasant Grove, UT, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts American Fork’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 26 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Utah Lake Lehi, UT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in American Fork
81% of the work is heating. 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 Pleasant Grove, UT.
Living with American Fork’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
188 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 6.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in American Fork from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →American Fork and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of American Fork in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like American Fork’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Fork, UT | 20° | 92° | 17" | 26" |
| Dalhart, TX | 21° | 92° | 16" | 20" |
| Colby, KS | 17° | 91° | 20" | 27" |
| Sterling, CO | 16° | 91° | 16" | 37" |
| Gardnerville, NV | 23° | 91° | 11" | 22" |
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 American Fork averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 American Fork compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with American Fork’s place among Utah’s.
American Fork weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at American Fork’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Utah Lake Lehi, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 20° | 1.8" | 7.4" | 8 | 20° – 37° |
| February | 44° | 24° | 1.5" | 3.6" | 8 | 29° – 41° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 1.5" | 1.8" | 8 | 38° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 37° | 1.9" | 1.3" | 9 | 44° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 45° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 83° | 53° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 62° – 73° |
| July | 92° | 61° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 68° – 80° |
| August | 89° | 59° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 70° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 50° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 38° | 1.6" | 0.3" | 6 | 45° – 57° |
| November | 51° | 29° | 1.2" | 3.7" | 6 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 21° | 1.5" | 8.2" | 8 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 64° | 39° | 16.5" | 26.3" | 78 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 37°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where American Fork’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 American Fork’s center.
- Snow: Utah Lake Lehi, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pleasant Grove, UT, 3 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 American Fork’s climate
What is the weather like in American Fork?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in American Fork in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 123 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does American Fork get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at Utah Lake Lehi, UT, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in American Fork?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 61°. About 55 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Pleasant Grove, UT).
When is the first and last frost in American Fork?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 188 frost-free days, at Pleasant Grove, UT.
What growing zone is American Fork in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit American Fork?
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 American Fork getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in American Fork.
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.