Photo: Wusel007 · CC BY-SA 3.0Douglas is among the driest of U.S. towns: 13 inches of precipitation a year
January nights here settle around 12°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 91% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. Tender plants can go out after about May 19; in half of years the first frost comes by September 23.
A year in Douglas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Douglas’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Douglas’ place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Douglas feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Douglas 1 Se, WY, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Douglas’ 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 59 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Douglas 1 Se, WY, is heaviest from February through March, about 11 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Douglas
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 Douglas 1 Se, WY.
Living with Douglas’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 19 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 4.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 36% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Douglas from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Douglas and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Douglas yet.
Climates most like Douglas’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas, WY | 12° | 88° | 13" | 59" |
| Preston, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
| Laurel, MT | 15° | 88° | 14" | 48" |
| Heber, UT | 12° | 88° | 15" | 75" |
| Fort Collins, CO | 16° | 89° | 15" | 49" |
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 Douglas averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Douglas compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Douglas’ place among Wyoming’s.
Douglas weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Douglas’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Douglas 1 Se, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 12° | 0.4" | 7.6" | 6 | 16 | 18° – 32° |
| February | 41° | 14° | 0.5" | 10.8" | 6 | 14 | 18° – 35° |
| March | 51° | 23° | 0.8" | 10.8" | 7 | 9 | 27° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 29° | 1.7" | 7.7" | 10 | 4 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 2.6" | 1.6" | 11 | 1 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 80° | 48° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| July | 88° | 55° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| August | 86° | 52° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 42° | 1.0" | 1.5" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 61° | 30° | 1.0" | 4.0" | 6 | 2 | 37° – 52° |
| November | 48° | 21° | 0.5" | 5.8" | 4 | 6 | 23° – 42° |
| December | 39° | 12° | 0.4" | 9.2" | 6 | 15 | 17° – 31° |
| Year | 61° | 31° | 12.6" | 59.0" | 84 | 66 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 42°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Douglas’ 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 Douglas’ center.
- Snow: Douglas 1 Se, WY (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Douglas 1 Se, WY, 2.0 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 Douglas’ climate
What is the weather like in Douglas?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Douglas in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Douglas get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter at Douglas 1 Se, WY, heaviest from February through March, about 11 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 66 days a year.
How hot does it get in Douglas?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 55°. About 35 days a year reach 90° (Douglas 1 Se, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Douglas?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 126 frost-free days, at Douglas 1 Se, WY.
What growing zone is Douglas 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 Douglas?
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 Douglas getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Douglas.
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.