Bryce Canyon National Park Scenic Trails Historic District · Photo: Paxson Woelber · CC BY-SA 3.0Tropic gets about 87 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 85°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 96% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.6° higher. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Tropic at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tropic’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tropic’s place in Utah beside it.
What a year in Tropic feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 116 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from Kodachrome Basin Park, UT, 10 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tropic’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 87 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bryce Canyon Np Hqrs, UT, is heaviest from January through February, about 19 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 77 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tropic
93% 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 Kodachrome Basin Park, UT.
Living with Tropic’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
116 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 31 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tropic from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tropic and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tropic yet.
Climates most like Tropic’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropic, UT | 15° | 85° | 12" | 87" |
| Belgrade, MT | 13° | 85° | 14" | 91" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Cheyenne, WY | 16° | 85° | 15" | 65" |
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 Tropic averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Tropic compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tropic’s place among Utah’s.
Tropic weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tropic’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bryce Canyon Np Hqrs, UT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 15° | 1.0" | 19.8" | 6 | 29 | 21° – 36° |
| February | 43° | 18° | 1.2" | 18.1" | 8 | 26 | 23° – 38° |
| March | 52° | 24° | 0.9" | 13.2" | 6 | 22 | 31° – 44° |
| April | 59° | 30° | 0.7" | 5.9" | 6 | 6 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 37° | 0.7" | 1.5" | 6 | 1 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 80° | 44° | 0.4" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| July | 85° | 52° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| August | 82° | 50° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 42° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| October | 63° | 32° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 5 | 1 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 51° | 22° | 0.8" | 9.7" | 5 | 9 | 28° – 42° |
| December | 40° | 15° | 0.8" | 15.3" | 6 | 25 | 22° – 34° |
| Year | 61° | 32° | 12.2" | 86.7" | 77 | 120 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 38°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Tropic’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 Tropic’s center.
- Snow: Bryce Canyon Np Hqrs, UT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kodachrome Basin Park, UT, 10 miles from the town’s center, 690 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Tropic’s climate
What is the weather like in Tropic?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 87 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tropic in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Tropic get?
About 87 inches in a normal winter at Bryce Canyon Np Hqrs, UT, heaviest from January through February, about 19 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 120 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tropic?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 52°. About 51 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Kodachrome Basin Park, UT).
When is the first and last frost in Tropic?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 116 frost-free days, at Kodachrome Basin Park, UT.
What growing zone is Tropic 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 Tropic?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tropic getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tropic.
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.