Dry weather: only 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Cornish, less than in 92% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 17°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 77% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 11 to October 5.
A year in Cornish at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cornish’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cornish’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Cornish feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 5. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Trenton, UT, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Richmond, UT, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cornish’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Richmond, UT, falls mostly in 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 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cornish
92% 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 Richmond, UT.
Living with Cornish’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 11 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 4.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cornish from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (86%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cornish and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cornish yet.
Climates most like Cornish’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornish, UT | 17° | 89° | 17" | 62" |
| Gunbarrel, CO | 17° | 89° | 18" | 65" |
| Chadron, NE | 14° | 89° | 18" | 50" |
| Billings, MT | 15° | 89° | 14" | 48" |
| Douglas, WY | 12° | 88° | 13" | 59" |
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 Cornish averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Cornish compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cornish’s place among Utah’s.
Cornish weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cornish’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Richmond, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | 1.8" | 12.9" | 12 | 24 | 12° – 34° |
| February | 37° | 20° | 1.5" | 12.7" | 10 | 19 | 18° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 29° | 1.6" | 8.9" | 11 | 6 | 32° – 44° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 1.8" | 4.0" | 11 | 1 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 42° | 2.1" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 78° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| July | 89° | 56° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 87° | 54° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 76° | 45° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 61° | 35° | 1.5" | 1.3" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 26° | 1.2" | 6.6" | 9 | 5 | 27° – 42° |
| December | 33° | 18° | 1.6" | 15.4" | 12 | 20 | 18° – 31° |
| Year | 59° | 35° | 16.9" | 62.3" | 104 | 76 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cornish’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 Cornish’s center.
- Snow: Richmond, UT.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Richmond, UT, 9 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Trenton, UT, 4 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 Cornish’s climate
What is the weather like in Cornish?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cornish in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 180 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Cornish get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Richmond, UT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 76 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cornish?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 56°. About 35 days a year reach 90° (Richmond, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Cornish?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 143 frost-free days, at Richmond, UT.
What growing zone is Cornish in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cornish?
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 Cornish getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cornish.
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.