La Sal is drier than 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches of precipitation a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 19°. Only 67° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 66% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 17, with the first autumn frost due around October 6.
A year in La Sal at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Sal’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Sal’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in La Sal feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at La Sal 1sw, UT, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Sal’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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at La Sal 1sw, UT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; July is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 66 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Sal
93% 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 La Sal 1sw, UT.
Living with La Sal’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 17 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 49 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Sal from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Sal and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Sal yet.
Climates most like La Sal’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Sal, UT | 19° | 86° | 14" | 50" |
| Orchard Homes, MT | 18° | 86° | 13" | 43" |
| Altamont, OR | 22° | 86° | 13" | 52" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
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 La Sal averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 98% 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 La Sal compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Sal’s place among Utah’s.
La Sal weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Sal’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from La Sal 1sw, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 19° | 1.0" | 10.4" | 6 | 19 | 21° – 35° |
| February | 42° | 22° | 1.1" | 8.6" | 6 | 15 | 27° – 39° |
| March | 51° | 29° | 0.9" | 7.3" | 6 | 5 | 35° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 34° | 1.0" | 3.8" | 5 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 43° | 1.2" | 0.6" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 81° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 86° | 59° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 57° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 49° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 38° | 1.5" | 1.8" | 5 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 48° | 28° | 0.9" | 5.3" | 4 | 3 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 19° | 1.2" | 12.3" | 5 | 16 | 22° – 34° |
| Year | 61° | 38° | 13.6" | 50.2" | 66 | 59 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where La Sal’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 La Sal’s center.
- Snow: La Sal 1sw, UT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: La Sal 1sw, UT, 0.1 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 La Sal’s climate
What is the weather like in La Sal?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Sal in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 169 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 La Sal get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at La Sal 1sw, UT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 59 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Sal?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 59°. About 19 days a year reach 90° (La Sal 1sw, UT).
When is the first and last frost in La Sal?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 141 frost-free days, at La Sal 1sw, UT.
What growing zone is La Sal 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 La Sal?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is La Sal getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Sal.
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.