Mountain Meadows Massacre Site · Photo: Mangoman88 · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Central trails that of 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 26°. A year here swings 66° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its July heat outdoes that of 84% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 69–82°, runs through May, September and October.
A year in Central at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Central’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Central’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Central feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Harmony, UT, 19 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Central’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Veyo Powerhouse, UT, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 48 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Central
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 New Harmony, UT.
Living with Central’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, September and October. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Central from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (47%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Central and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Central yet.
Climates most like Central’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central, UT | 26° | 91° | 16" | 11" |
| Prescott Valley, AZ | 26° | 91° | 14" | 10" |
| Clovis, NM | 24° | 91° | 17" | 13" |
| Lewiston, ID | 30° | 92° | 14" | 13" |
| Walla Walla, WA | 30° | 91° | 16" | 9.0" |
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 Central averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Central compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Central’s place among Utah’s.
Central weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Central’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Veyo Powerhouse, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 26° | 1.9" | 1.6" | 5 | 1 | 31° – 43° |
| February | 50° | 29° | 2.3" | 3.2" | 6 | 1 | 32° – 47° |
| March | 58° | 35° | 2.0" | 1.5" | 5 | 1 | 39° – 53° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 1.1" | 0.5" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 47° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 86° | 56° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| July | 91° | 63° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 89° | 61° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 82° | 54° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| October | 69° | 43° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| November | 56° | 32° | 1.1" | 0.9" | 3 | 0 | 36° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 25° | 1.6" | 3.1" | 5 | 2 | 31° – 40° |
| Year | 68° | 42° | 16.0" | 10.8" | 48 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 47°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Central’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 Central’s center.
- Snow: Veyo Powerhouse, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Harmony, UT, 19 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 Central’s climate
What is the weather like in Central?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Central in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Central get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Veyo Powerhouse, UT, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Central?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 63°. About 36 days a year reach 90° (New Harmony, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Central?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 155 frost-free days, at New Harmony, UT.
What growing zone is Central in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Central?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Central getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Central.
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.