Photo: SSLaker3 · CC BY-SA 3.0Dry weather: only 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year in South Salt Lake, less than in 92% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 92°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 88% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.9° higher. If you like long walks, May, June, September and October offer highs of 65–83°.
A year in South Salt Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Salt Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Salt Lake’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in South Salt Lake 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 NOAA’s station at Salt Lake City International Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Salt Lake’s center in zone 7b: 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 56 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Holladay 0.5 Ese, UT, falls mostly in January and December. 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 97 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Salt Lake
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 South Salt Lake’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. 4.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Salt Lake from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (89%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Salt Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of South Salt Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Salt Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Salt Lake, UT | 22° | 92° | 17" | 56" |
| Derby, CO | 18° | 90° | 14" | 49" |
| 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 South Salt Lake averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 86% 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 South Salt Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Salt Lake’s place among Utah’s.
South Salt Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Salt Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Holladay 0.5 Ese, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 22° | 1.4" | 12.7" | 10 | 20° – 37° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 1.3" | 10.0" | 9 | 28° – 44° |
| March | 55° | 34° | 1.8" | 8.6" | 10 | 39° – 50° |
| April | 61° | 39° | 2.4" | 4.2" | 11 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 47° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 83° | 56° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 63° – 76° |
| July | 92° | 64° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 69° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 62° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 71° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 53° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 41° | 1.4" | 0.8" | 8 | 46° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 31° | 1.3" | 6.2" | 8 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 39° | 23° | 1.4" | 13.3" | 10 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 64° | 41° | 16.6" | 55.8" | 97 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 37°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where South Salt Lake’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 South Salt Lake’s center.
- Snow: Holladay 0.5 Ese, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Salt Lake City International Airport, 6 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 South Salt Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in South Salt Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Salt Lake in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 112 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does South Salt Lake get?
About 56 inches in a normal winter at Holladay 0.5 Ese, UT, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in South Salt Lake?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 64°. About 62 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Salt Lake City International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in South Salt Lake?
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 South Salt Lake in?
Zone 7b 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 South Salt Lake?
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 South Salt Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Salt Lake.
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.