Photo: National Scenic Byways Online · Public domainPayson’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Payson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Payson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Payson’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Payson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Spanish Fk Pwr House, UT, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Payson’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 55 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Santaquin Chlorinator, UT, is heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; April is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Payson
84% of the work is heating. 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 Spanish Fk Pwr House, UT.
Living with Payson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 22 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Payson from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Payson and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Payson in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Payson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payson, UT | 19° | 92° | 17" | 55" |
| Derby, CO | 18° | 90° | 14" | 49" |
| Gering, NE | 15° | 90° | 15" | 43" |
| Colby, KS | 17° | 91° | 20" | 27" |
| Elko, NV | 15° | 90° | 10" | 41" |
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 Payson averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Payson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Payson’s place among Utah’s.
Payson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Payson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santaquin Chlorinator, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 19° | 1.9" | 13.4" | 8 | 19° – 36° |
| February | 44° | 23° | 1.7" | 13.3" | 7 | 28° – 42° |
| March | 55° | 31° | 1.7" | 6.9" | 8 | 37° – 48° |
| April | 62° | 36° | 2.1" | 3.3" | 8 | 44° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 44° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 84° | 52° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 62° – 74° |
| July | 92° | 60° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 69° – 80° |
| August | 90° | 58° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 70° – 79° |
| September | 80° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 5 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 66° | 37° | 1.7" | 0.8" | 6 | 45° – 58° |
| November | 51° | 28° | 1.5" | 5.6" | 6 | 30° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 20° | 1.6" | 11.7" | 8 | 23° – 34° |
| Year | 64° | 38° | 17.4" | 55.1" | 74 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 36°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Payson’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 Payson’s center.
- Snow: Santaquin Chlorinator, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Spanish Fk Pwr House, UT, 8 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 Payson’s climate
What is the weather like in Payson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Payson in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 118 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Payson get?
About 55 inches in a normal winter at Santaquin Chlorinator, UT, heaviest from January through February, about 13 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Payson?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 60°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Spanish Fk Pwr House, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Payson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 174 frost-free days, at Spanish Fk Pwr House, UT.
What growing zone is Payson in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Payson?
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 Payson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Payson.
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.