Photo: Runner1928 · CC BY-SA 4.0Alcova sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 10 inches a year
January mornings start at about 13°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 90% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 76–80°, belongs to June and September.
A year in Alcova at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alcova’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alcova’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Alcova feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pathfinder Dam, WY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alcova’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 69 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bates Creek #2, WY, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alcova
94% 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 Pathfinder Dam, WY.
Living with Alcova’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 2.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alcova from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alcova and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alcova yet.
Climates most like Alcova’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcova, WY | 13° | 89° | 10" | 69" |
| Heber, UT | 12° | 88° | 15" | 75" |
| Preston, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
| Battlement Mesa, CO | 14° | 91° | 13" | 54" |
| Billings, MT | 15° | 89° | 14" | 48" |
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 Alcova averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Alcova compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alcova’s place among Wyoming’s.
Alcova weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alcova’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bates Creek #2, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 13° | 0.4" | 11.9" | 6 | 27 | 18° – 30° |
| February | 37° | 14° | 0.5" | 11.1" | 6 | 24 | 19° – 33° |
| March | 49° | 23° | 0.7" | 10.5" | 6 | 11 | 28° – 43° |
| April | 58° | 29° | 1.3" | 9.2" | 8 | 4 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 38° | 1.9" | 2.3" | 9 | 1 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 80° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| July | 89° | 54° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| August | 87° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 76° | 43° | 0.9" | 0.6" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 61° | 32° | 1.0" | 5.8" | 6 | 3 | 37° – 53° |
| November | 46° | 22° | 0.5" | 5.6" | 5 | 7 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 35° | 14° | 0.4" | 11.9" | 6 | 22 | 17° – 30° |
| Year | 60° | 32° | 10.2" | 69.0" | 75 | 98 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 43°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Alcova’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 Alcova’s center.
- Snow: Bates Creek #2, WY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pathfinder Dam, WY, 8 miles from the town’s center, 440 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 Alcova’s climate
What is the weather like in Alcova?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 69 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alcova in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 158 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Alcova get?
About 69 inches in a normal winter at Bates Creek #2, WY, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 98 days a year.
How hot does it get in Alcova?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 54°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Pathfinder Dam, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Alcova?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 148 frost-free days, at Pathfinder Dam, WY.
What growing zone is Alcova in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alcova?
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 Alcova getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alcova.
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.