Photo: Tricia Simpson · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Elsinore: 9 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 16° on average. Precipitation peaks in October and eases off in June. Its July heat outdoes that of 81% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Elsinore at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elsinore’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elsinore’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Elsinore feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 125 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Richfield Radio Ksvc, UT, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elsinore’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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Richfield Radio Ksvc, UT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; October is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 67 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elsinore
92% 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 Richfield Radio Ksvc, UT.
Living with Elsinore’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
125 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 21 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: September. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elsinore from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elsinore and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elsinore yet.
Climates most like Elsinore’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsinore, UT | 16° | 91° | 9" | 18" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
| Española, NM | 17° | 90° | 11" | 11" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Rupert, ID | 20° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
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 Elsinore averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Elsinore compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elsinore’s place among Utah’s.
Elsinore weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elsinore’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Richfield Radio Ksvc, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 16° | 0.6" | 4.3" | 5 | 10 | 20° – 35° |
| February | 46° | 20° | 0.6" | 3.4" | 6 | 4 | 28° – 41° |
| March | 56° | 27° | 0.9" | 2.0" | 6 | 1 | 36° – 47° |
| April | 62° | 32° | 0.9" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 73° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 84° | 48° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| July | 91° | 55° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 88° | 54° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 80° | 44° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 67° | 33° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 6 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 52° | 24° | 0.6" | 2.4" | 5 | 1 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 40° | 15° | 0.7" | 4.7" | 5 | 7 | 22° – 33° |
| Year | 65° | 34° | 9.3" | 17.8" | 67 | 23 |
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 35°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Elsinore’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 Elsinore’s center.
- Snow: Richfield Radio Ksvc, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Richfield Radio Ksvc, UT, 6 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 Elsinore’s climate
What is the weather like in Elsinore?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elsinore in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Elsinore get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Richfield Radio Ksvc, UT, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elsinore?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 55°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Richfield Radio Ksvc, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Elsinore?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 125 frost-free days, at Richfield Radio Ksvc, UT.
What growing zone is Elsinore 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 Elsinore?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Elsinore getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elsinore.
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.