Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Big Water reaches 100° on about 30 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 26°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of almost every U.S. town. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. The heating season runs November to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Big Water at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Water’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Water’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Big Water feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Big Water, UT, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Water’s center in zone 8a: 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 7 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain falls on about 36 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at Wahweap, AZ, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Big Water
72% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Big Water, UT.
Living with Big Water’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 8 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Water from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Water and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Water yet.
Climates most like Big Water’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Water, UT | 26° | 99° | 7" | 0.6" |
| Thatcher, AZ | 31° | 99° | 9" | 0.2" |
| San Elizario, TX | 31° | 97° | 9" | 1.7" |
| Las Cruces, NM | 28° | 96° | 9" | 1.0" |
| Rosamond, CA | 33° | 98° | 8" | 1.2" |
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 Big Water averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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 Big Water compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Water’s place among Utah’s.
Big Water weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Water’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wahweap, AZ. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 26° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 30° – 41° |
| February | 53° | 30° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 36° – 47° |
| March | 63° | 37° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| April | 71° | 43° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 82° | 51° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 94° | 61° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| July | 99° | 68° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 80° – 87° |
| August | 95° | 67° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| September | 87° | 58° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 73° | 46° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| November | 57° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 25° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 29° – 41° |
| Year | 72° | 45° | 6.9" | 0.6" | 36 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 41°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Big Water’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 Big Water’s center.
- Snow: Wahweap, AZ.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Water, UT, 0.3 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 Big Water’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Water?
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 26°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 175 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Water in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 103 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Big Water get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at Wahweap, AZ, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Big Water?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 68°. About 101 days a year reach 90° and 30 reach 100° (Big Water, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Big Water?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 8 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 204 frost-free days, at Big Water, UT.
What growing zone is Big Water in?
Zone 8a 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 Big Water?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Big Water getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Water.
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.