Erick Lehi and Ingrid Larsen Olson House · Photo: Ntsimp · CC0Dry weather: only 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year in River Heights, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 14°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 75° apart. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 86% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 30; in half of years the first frost comes by October 16.
A year in River Heights at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about River Heights’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with River Heights’ place in Utah beside it.
What a year in River Heights feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Logan Utah St Univ, UT, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts River Heights’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Logan Radio Kvnu, 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 96 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in River Heights
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 Logan Utah St Univ, UT.
Living with River Heights’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in River Heights from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →River Heights and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of River Heights in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like River Heights’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Heights, UT | 14° | 90° | 18" | 44" |
| Chadron, NE | 14° | 89° | 18" | 50" |
| Longmont, CO | 16° | 90° | 16" | 47" |
| Belle Fourche, SD | 13° | 88° | 19" | 42" |
| Billings, MT | 15° | 89° | 14" | 48" |
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 River Heights averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 River Heights compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with River Heights’ place among Utah’s.
River Heights weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at River Heights’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Logan Radio Kvnu, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 14° | 1.7" | 13.9" | 11 | 24 | 12° – 34° |
| February | 38° | 18° | 1.4" | 8.3" | 10 | 18 | 15° – 39° |
| March | 50° | 28° | 2.0" | 3.9" | 9 | 7 | 31° – 45° |
| April | 59° | 33° | 2.1" | 2.5" | 10 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 41° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 80° | 48° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| July | 90° | 54° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 88° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 44° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 63° | 33° | 1.7" | 0.7" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 54° |
| November | 47° | 25° | 1.3" | 4.0" | 8 | 4 | 28° – 42° |
| December | 34° | 16° | 1.5" | 10.7" | 10 | 19 | 18° – 32° |
| Year | 60° | 34° | 17.6" | 44.0" | 96 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where River Heights’ 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 River Heights’ center.
- Snow: Logan Radio Kvnu, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Logan Utah St Univ, UT, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher; 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 River Heights’ climate
What is the weather like in River Heights?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in River Heights in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 136 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does River Heights get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Logan Radio Kvnu, UT, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in River Heights?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 54°. About 32 days a year reach 90° (Logan Utah St Univ, UT).
When is the first and last frost in River Heights?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 166 frost-free days, at Logan Utah St Univ, UT.
What growing zone is River Heights in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit River Heights?
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 River Heights getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in River Heights.
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.