Photo: Invictus323 · CC BY 4.0Less rain and snow falls on Salt Lake City than on 91% of U.S. towns: 18 inches a year
Nights in January average 23°. Rain follows the seasons: April brings about 4.1 times as much as July. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 87% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 65–83°, belongs to May, June, September and October.
A year in Salt Lake City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Salt Lake City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Salt Lake City’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Salt Lake City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 2.2 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Salt Lake City’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Salt Lake City International Airport, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; April is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 92 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Salt Lake City
78% 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 Salt Lake City International Airport.
Living with Salt Lake City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 8 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 158 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Salt Lake City from natural hazards, earthquakes are 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 →Salt Lake City and its neighbors
Emigration Canyon has the coldest January nights next door (20°, 3° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Salt Lake City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City, UT | 23° | 92° | 18" | 52" |
| Berkley, CO | 19° | 89° | 15" | 55" |
| Gering, NE | 15° | 90° | 15" | 43" |
| Sun Valley, NV | 25° | 90° | 9" | 33" |
| Colby, KS | 17° | 91° | 20" | 27" |
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 Salt Lake City averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 91% 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. In a city of 218,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Salt Lake City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Salt Lake City’s place among Utah’s.
Salt Lake City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Salt Lake City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Salt Lake City International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 23° | 1.6" | 12.7" | 10 | 16 | 21° – 38° |
| February | 44° | 27° | 1.5" | 10.7" | 10 | 9 | 29° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 34° | 1.9" | 5.9" | 9 | 3 | 39° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 39° | 2.5" | 2.9" | 10 | 1 | 45° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 83° | 57° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| July | 92° | 65° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 69° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 63° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| September | 80° | 54° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 1.6" | 0.5" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 1.4" | 7.0" | 8 | 3 | 33° – 48° |
| December | 39° | 24° | 1.6" | 12.1" | 10 | 13 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 64° | 42° | 17.9" | 51.9" | 92 | 45 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 38°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Salt Lake City’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 Salt Lake City’s center.
- Snow: Salt Lake City International Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Salt Lake City International Airport, 2.2 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the city’s official station.
- 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 Salt Lake City’s climate
What is the weather like in Salt Lake City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Salt Lake City in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 112 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Salt Lake City get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Salt Lake City International Airport, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 45 days a year.
How hot does it get in Salt Lake City?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 65°. About 62 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Salt Lake City International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Salt Lake City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 8 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 204 frost-free days, at Salt Lake City International Airport.
What growing zone is Salt Lake City in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Salt Lake City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Salt Lake City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Salt Lake City.
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.