Benjamin and Olivia Meek House · Photo: Ntsimp · CC0Draper’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Draper at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Draper’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Draper’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Draper feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alpine, UT, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 340 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Draper’s center in zone 7b: 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 74 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alpine, UT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; April is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Draper
89% 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 Alpine, UT.
Living with Draper’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 3 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 136 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Draper from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Draper and its neighbors
Bluffdale has the coldest January nights next door (21°, 1° colder) and Bluffdale the hottest July afternoons (92°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Draper’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draper, UT | 22° | 89° | 23" | 74" |
| Superior, CO | 20° | 88° | 18" | 68" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| Spearfish, SD | 15° | 86° | 25" | 71" |
| Suncrest, WA | 23° | 87° | 16" | 48" |
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 Draper 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 Draper compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Draper’s place among Utah’s.
Draper weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Draper’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alpine, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 22° | 2.6" | 17.4" | 10 | 22 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 43° | 24° | 2.3" | 13.6" | 9 | 18 | 28° – 40° |
| March | 52° | 31° | 2.2" | 9.6" | 9 | 5 | 36° – 47° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 2.7" | 6.2" | 10 | 1 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 44° | 2.6" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 80° | 53° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| July | 89° | 62° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| August | 87° | 60° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 52° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 40° | 2.1" | 1.6" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| November | 49° | 30° | 1.7" | 8.0" | 7 | 5 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 38° | 22° | 2.5" | 17.5" | 9 | 18 | 24° – 34° |
| Year | 62° | 40° | 23.1" | 74.4" | 93 | 69 |
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 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Draper’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 Draper’s center.
- Snow: Alpine, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alpine, UT, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 340 ft higher; 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 Draper’s climate
What is the weather like in Draper?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Draper in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Draper get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Alpine, UT, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 69 days a year.
How hot does it get in Draper?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 62°. About 36 days a year reach 90° (Alpine, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Draper?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 159 frost-free days, at Alpine, UT.
What growing zone is Draper in?
Zone 7b 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 Draper?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Draper 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 Draper.
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.