Escalante’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Escalante at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Escalante’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Escalante’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Escalante feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Escalante, UT, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Escalante’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 26 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Escalante, UT, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 58 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Escalante
88% 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 Escalante, UT.
Living with Escalante’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 8 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Escalante from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Escalante and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Escalante yet.
Climates most like Escalante’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escalante, UT | 18° | 90° | 11" | 26" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
| White Rock, NM | 18° | 89° | 13" | 20" |
| Jerome, ID | 21° | 90° | 10" | 24" |
| Torrington, WY | 14° | 90° | 13" | 31" |
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 Escalante averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Escalante compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Escalante’s place among Utah’s.
Escalante weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Escalante’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Escalante, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 18° | 1.0" | 8.9" | 4 | 12 | 24° – 37° |
| February | 47° | 22° | 0.9" | 5.8" | 5 | 6 | 28° – 41° |
| March | 56° | 28° | 0.8" | 2.2" | 4 | 1 | 36° – 47° |
| April | 63° | 33° | 0.5" | 1.4" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 73° | 41° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 85° | 49° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| July | 90° | 57° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 87° | 55° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 66° | 36° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 53° | 25° | 0.5" | 1.9" | 3 | 1 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 42° | 17° | 0.7" | 5.2" | 4 | 6 | 23° – 35° |
| Year | 65° | 36° | 10.6" | 25.5" | 58 | 26 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Escalante’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 Escalante’s center.
- Snow: Escalante, UT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Escalante, UT, 0.4 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 Escalante’s climate
What is the weather like in Escalante?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Escalante in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Escalante get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at Escalante, UT, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 26 days a year.
How hot does it get in Escalante?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 57°. About 64 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Escalante, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Escalante?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 155 frost-free days, at Escalante, UT.
What growing zone is Escalante in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Escalante?
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 Escalante getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Escalante.
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.