Fort Deseret · Photo: Philkon Phil Konstantin · Public domainDeseret reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 16°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on almost every U.S. town. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. For walks and days out, May and September bring highs of 76–82°.
A year in Deseret at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Deseret’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Deseret’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Deseret feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Deseret, UT, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Deseret’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Deseret, UT, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; April is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 53 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Deseret
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Deseret, UT.
Living with Deseret’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 14 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Deseret from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Deseret and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Deseret yet.
Climates most like Deseret’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deseret, UT | 16° | 95° | 8" | 20" |
| Redlands, CO | 17° | 96° | 8" | 18" |
| Winnemucca, NV | 21° | 93° | 8" | 22" |
| North Valley, NM | 21° | 93° | 10" | 12" |
| Payette, ID | 23° | 94° | 10" | 15" |
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 Deseret averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Deseret compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Deseret’s place among Utah’s.
Deseret weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Deseret’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Deseret, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 16° | 0.7" | 4.3" | 5 | 11° – 36° |
| February | 47° | 21° | 0.7" | 4.2" | 5 | 27° – 41° |
| March | 58° | 29° | 0.8" | 2.7" | 5 | 38° – 48° |
| April | 65° | 34° | 1.0" | 1.6" | 6 | 44° – 56° |
| May | 76° | 42° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 87° | 50° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 61° – 75° |
| July | 95° | 59° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 93° | 58° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 71° – 81° |
| September | 82° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 68° | 35° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 43° – 57° |
| November | 52° | 24° | 0.6" | 2.3" | 4 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 40° | 16° | 0.6" | 4.5" | 4 | 19° – 34° |
| Year | 67° | 36° | 8.3" | 19.6" | 53 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 36°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Deseret’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 Deseret’s center.
- Snow: Deseret, UT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Deseret, UT, 0.1 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 Deseret’s climate
What is the weather like in Deseret?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Deseret in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Deseret get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Deseret, UT, most of it in January, February and December.
How hot does it get in Deseret?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 59°. About 76 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Deseret, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Deseret?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 137 frost-free days, at Deseret, UT.
What growing zone is Deseret in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Deseret?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Deseret getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Deseret.
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.