Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Fort Duchesne: 7 inches a year
July afternoons average 91°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 86°. In January, nights here are colder than in 98% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Fort Duchesne at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Duchesne’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Duchesne’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Fort Duchesne feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Duchesne, UT, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Duchesne’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Roosevelt Radio, UT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 7 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 59 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Duchesne
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 Ft Duchesne, UT.
Living with Fort Duchesne’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 19 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 6.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Duchesne from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Duchesne and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fort Duchesne yet.
Climates most like Fort Duchesne’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Duchesne, UT | 6° | 91° | 7" | 16" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
| Riverton, WY | 8° | 90° | 9" | 44" |
| Zuni Pueblo, NM | 16° | 89° | 11" | 10" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 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 Fort Duchesne averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Fort Duchesne compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Duchesne’s place among Utah’s.
Fort Duchesne weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Duchesne’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Roosevelt Radio, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 6° | 0.4" | 5.2" | 4 | 17 | 3° – 28° |
| February | 38° | 13° | 0.4" | 3.4" | 5 | 10 | 14° – 36° |
| March | 54° | 25° | 0.5" | 1.1" | 4 | 3 | 34° – 45° |
| April | 63° | 32° | 0.6" | 0.7" | 6 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 73° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| June | 85° | 48° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| July | 91° | 55° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| August | 88° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 64° | 33° | 0.9" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 21° | 0.4" | 0.6" | 4 | 0 | 27° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 9° | 0.5" | 5.2" | 5 | 9 | 7° – 28° |
| Year | 62° | 32° | 7.0" | 16.4" | 59 | 39 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 28°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Fort Duchesne’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 Fort Duchesne’s center.
- Snow: Roosevelt Radio, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Duchesne, UT, 0.9 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 Fort Duchesne’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Duchesne?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Duchesne in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 21 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Fort Duchesne get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Roosevelt Radio, UT, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 39 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fort Duchesne?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 55°. About 59 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Ft Duchesne, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Duchesne?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 135 frost-free days, at Ft Duchesne, UT.
What growing zone is Fort Duchesne in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Duchesne?
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 Fort Duchesne getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Duchesne.
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.