Bedford gets about 88 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 75°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 90% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside for July and August, when highs sit at 81–82°.
A year in Bedford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bedford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bedford’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Bedford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 238 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 35 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bedford 3 Se, WY, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bedford’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 88 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Afton, WY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 111 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bedford
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Bedford 3 Se, WY.
Living with Bedford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 4b, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 67 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 6.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bedford from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bedford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bedford yet.
Climates most like Bedford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford, WY | 8° | 82° | 19" | 88" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Hailey, ID | 10° | 84° | 14" | 102" |
| Monument, CO | 14° | 83° | 22" | 121" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Bedford averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Bedford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bedford’s place among Wyoming’s.
Bedford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bedford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Afton, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 8° | 1.8" | 21.8" | 12 | 31 | 11° – 25° |
| February | 33° | 9° | 1.5" | 15.0" | 11 | 27 | 17° – 28° |
| March | 43° | 18° | 1.5" | 12.2" | 9 | 23 | 25° – 37° |
| April | 52° | 25° | 1.8" | 5.0" | 10 | 6 | 32° – 44° |
| May | 63° | 34° | 2.3" | 0.8" | 11 | 1 | 42° – 53° |
| June | 73° | 39° | 1.7" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| July | 82° | 44° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 69° |
| August | 81° | 43° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| September | 72° | 35° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| October | 57° | 27° | 1.7" | 3.7" | 9 | 2 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 41° | 18° | 1.6" | 11.4" | 10 | 11 | 21° – 36° |
| December | 30° | 8° | 1.7" | 17.5" | 13 | 29 | 14° – 25° |
| Year | 55° | 26° | 18.9" | 87.8" | 111 | 130 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 36°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Bedford’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 Bedford’s center.
- Snow: Afton, WY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bedford 3 Se, WY, 1.9 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 Bedford’s climate
What is the weather like in Bedford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 88 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bedford in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 238 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Bedford get?
About 88 inches in a normal winter at Afton, WY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 130 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bedford?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 44°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Bedford 3 Se, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Bedford?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Bedford 3 Se, WY, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 238 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 67 days.
What growing zone is Bedford in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bedford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bedford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bedford.
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.