Dry weather: only 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Peter, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 89°. Precipitation peaks in May and eases off in July. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 70% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 3 to October 12.
A year in Peter at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Peter’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Peter’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Peter feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cutler Dam, UT, 4 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Peter’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cutler Dam, UT, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 91 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Peter
90% 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 Cutler Dam, UT.
Living with Peter’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Peter from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Peter and its neighbors
Benson has the coldest January nights next door (17°, 2° colder) and Benson the hottest July afternoons (90°, 1° 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 Peter’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter, UT | 19° | 89° | 18" | 39" |
| Ken Caryl, CO | 19° | 88° | 17" | 34" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
| Sidney, NE | 15° | 89° | 17" | 29" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 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 Peter averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Peter compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Peter’s place among Utah’s.
Peter weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Peter’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cutler Dam, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 19° | 1.9" | 13.6" | 10 | 24 | 13° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 22° | 1.6" | 8.8" | 9 | 19 | 18° – 41° |
| March | 49° | 31° | 1.7" | 2.0" | 8 | 7 | 33° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 36° | 1.9" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 78° | 51° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| July | 89° | 59° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 87° | 57° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 48° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 37° | 1.6" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 1.3" | 3.2" | 8 | 3 | 29° – 43° |
| December | 34° | 20° | 1.7" | 10.0" | 11 | 20 | 19° – 34° |
| Year | 60° | 38° | 17.8" | 38.5" | 91 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Peter’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 Peter’s center.
- Snow: Cutler Dam, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cutler Dam, UT, 4 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Peter’s climate
What is the weather like in Peter?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Peter in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 130 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Peter get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Cutler Dam, UT, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in Peter?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 59°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Cutler Dam, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Peter?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 160 frost-free days, at Cutler Dam, UT.
What growing zone is Peter in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Peter?
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 Peter getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Peter.
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.