Mountain Dell Dam · Photo: Historic American Engineering Record. Survey number HAER UTAH,18-SALCI,22-17 · Public domainPrecipitation in Emigration Canyon trails that of 87% of U.S. towns: 25 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 20°. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.9° rise. Tender plants can go out after about June 11; in half of years the first frost comes by September 12.
A year in Emigration Canyon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Emigration Canyon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Emigration Canyon’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Emigration Canyon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 92 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 11 and the first by September 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wanship Dam, UT, 17 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Emigration Canyon’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 56 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Holladay 0.5 Ese, UT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; April is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 97 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Emigration Canyon
97% 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 Wanship Dam, UT.
Living with Emigration Canyon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
92 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 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 Sep 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Emigration Canyon from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (78%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Emigration Canyon and its neighbors
Salt Lake City the hottest July afternoons (92°, 5° 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 Emigration Canyon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emigration Canyon, UT | 20° | 87° | 25" | 56" |
| Roxborough Park, CO | 18° | 86° | 19" | 62" |
| Spearfish, SD | 15° | 86° | 25" | 71" |
| Liberty Lake, WA | 25° | 84° | 22" | 45" |
| Moscow, ID | 25° | 84° | 25" | 51" |
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 Emigration Canyon averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Emigration Canyon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Emigration Canyon’s place among Utah’s.
Emigration Canyon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Emigration Canyon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Holladay 0.5 Ese, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 20° | 2.6" | 12.7" | 10 | 21° – 35° |
| February | 41° | 22° | 2.3" | 10.0" | 9 | 25° – 39° |
| March | 50° | 29° | 2.7" | 8.6" | 10 | 34° – 46° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 3.1" | 4.2" | 11 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 77° | 50° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 58° – 70° |
| July | 87° | 58° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 57° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 49° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 2.1" | 0.8" | 8 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 28° | 2.3" | 6.2" | 8 | 29° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 20° | 2.5" | 13.3" | 10 | 22° – 32° |
| Year | 60° | 37° | 24.9" | 55.8" | 97 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 44°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Emigration Canyon’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 Emigration Canyon’s center.
- Snow: Holladay 0.5 Ese, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wanship Dam, UT, 17 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower; 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 Emigration Canyon’s climate
What is the weather like in Emigration Canyon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Emigration Canyon in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 193 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Emigration Canyon get?
About 56 inches in a normal winter at Holladay 0.5 Ese, UT, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Emigration Canyon?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 58°. About 32 days a year reach 90° (Wanship Dam, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Emigration Canyon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 11 and the first fall frost by September 12, about 92 frost-free days, at Wanship Dam, UT.
What growing zone is Emigration Canyon in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Emigration Canyon?
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 Emigration Canyon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Emigration Canyon.
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.