Photo: Ntsimp · Public domainDry weather: only 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Portage, less than in 93% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 90°. Its January nights bite harder than in 87% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 3 to October 12.
A year in Portage at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Portage’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Portage’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Portage 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, 14 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Portage’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Plymouth, UT, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Portage
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
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 Portage’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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Portage from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Portage and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Portage yet.
Climates most like Portage’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage, UT | 14° | 90° | 15" | 7.5" |
| Zuni Pueblo, NM | 16° | 89° | 11" | 10" |
| Pueblo West, CO | 19° | 92° | 12" | 15" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Carson City, NV | 23° | 90° | 11" | 14" |
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 Portage averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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 Portage compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Portage’s place among Utah’s.
Portage weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Portage’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Plymouth, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 14° | 1.6" | 2.5" | 6 | 13° – 33° |
| February | 39° | 18° | 1.3" | 1.8" | 7 | 19° – 37° |
| March | 50° | 27° | 1.2" | 0.6" | 6 | 32° – 44° |
| April | 59° | 33° | 1.5" | 0.4" | 6 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 40° | 2.0" | 0.1" | 8 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 80° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 58° – 71° |
| July | 90° | 54° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 88° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 78° | 43° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 63° | 32° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 5 | 38° – 54° |
| November | 47° | 24° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 5 | 27° – 42° |
| December | 34° | 16° | 1.4" | 1.6" | 6 | 18° – 31° |
| Year | 61° | 33° | 14.5" | 7.5" | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 33°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Portage’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 Portage’s center.
- Snow: Plymouth, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cutler Dam, UT, 14 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Portage’s climate
What is the weather like in Portage?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Portage in winter?
January nights average 14°. 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 Portage get?
About 7.5 inches in a normal winter at Plymouth, UT, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Portage?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 54°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Cutler Dam, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Portage?
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 Portage in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Portage?
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 Portage getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Portage.
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.