Summit sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 12 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 91°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 80% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.9° above 1901–2000. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 80–84°, belongs to June and September.
A year in Summit at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Summit’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Summit’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Summit feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 130 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cedar City Muni Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Summit’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 55 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cedar City 5e, UT, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; March is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Summit
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 Cedar City Muni Airport.
Living with Summit’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
130 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 21 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Summit from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Summit and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Summit yet.
Climates most like Summit’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit, UT | 18° | 91° | 12" | 55" |
| Derby, CO | 18° | 90° | 14" | 49" |
| Elko, NV | 15° | 90° | 10" | 41" |
| Scottsbluff, NE | 15° | 90° | 15" | 43" |
| Preston, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
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 Summit averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
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 Summit compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Summit’s place among Utah’s.
Summit weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Summit’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cedar City 5e, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 18° | 0.9" | 10.3" | 6 | 24° – 37° |
| February | 48° | 21° | 1.2" | 12.8" | 7 | 28° – 41° |
| March | 56° | 27° | 1.3" | 9.2" | 6 | 35° – 47° |
| April | 63° | 32° | 1.1" | 3.0" | 6 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 73° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.7" | 6 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 84° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 59° – 71° |
| July | 91° | 56° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 70° – 76° |
| August | 88° | 54° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 80° | 45° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 67° | 34° | 1.2" | 1.8" | 4 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 54° | 24° | 0.9" | 6.0" | 4 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 17° | 1.1" | 10.9" | 6 | 26° – 35° |
| Year | 66° | 35° | 12.1" | 54.7" | 60 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Summit’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 Summit’s center.
- Snow: Cedar City 5e, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cedar City Muni Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 360 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 Summit’s climate
What is the weather like in Summit?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Summit in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Summit get?
About 55 inches in a normal winter at Cedar City 5e, UT, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Summit?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 56°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Cedar City Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Summit?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 130 frost-free days, at Cedar City Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Summit in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Summit?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Summit 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 Summit.
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.