Burlington sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 8 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 8°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 95% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.7° higher. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 12 to September 28.
A year in Burlington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Burlington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Burlington’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Burlington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Emblem, WY, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Burlington’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Emblem, WY, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 53 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Burlington
95% 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 Emblem, WY.
Living with Burlington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 12 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: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Burlington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Burlington and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Burlington yet.
Climates most like Burlington’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, WY | 8° | 88° | 8" | 16" |
| Vernal, UT | 9° | 90° | 9" | 20" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 15" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
| Zuni Pueblo, NM | 16° | 89° | 11" | 10" |
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 Burlington averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Burlington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Burlington’s place among Wyoming’s.
Burlington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Burlington’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Emblem, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 8° | 0.2" | 2.8" | 3 | 4 | 9° – 29° |
| February | 37° | 12° | 0.2" | 3.1" | 3 | 4 | 13° – 34° |
| March | 50° | 23° | 0.3" | 1.2" | 3 | 0 | 28° – 44° |
| April | 59° | 31° | 0.8" | 2.0" | 5 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 41° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 79° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| July | 88° | 56° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 77° |
| August | 85° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 43° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 31° | 0.7" | 1.2" | 4 | 0 | 37° – 51° |
| November | 44° | 19° | 0.3" | 2.5" | 3 | 1 | 20° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 10° | 0.2" | 3.3" | 3 | 4 | 12° – 27° |
| Year | 59° | 31° | 7.7" | 16.3" | 53 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Burlington’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 Burlington’s center.
- Snow: Emblem, WY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Emblem, WY, 4 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 Burlington’s climate
What is the weather like in Burlington?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Burlington in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Burlington get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Emblem, WY, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Burlington?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 56°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Emblem, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Burlington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 136 frost-free days, at Emblem, WY.
What growing zone is Burlington in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Burlington?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Burlington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Burlington.
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.