Fort Halleck · Photo: Timothy H. O'Sullivan · Public domainElk Mountain gets about 93 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 81°. Only 68° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 93% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to May, which average under 50°.
A year in Elk Mountain at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elk Mountain’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elk Mountain’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Elk Mountain feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 108 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first by September 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elk Mtn, WY, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elk Mountain’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 93 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elk Mtn, WY, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elk Mountain
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Elk Mtn, WY.
Living with Elk Mountain’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
108 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 28 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elk Mountain from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elk Mountain and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elk Mountain yet.
Climates most like Elk Mountain’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Mountain, WY | 13° | 81° | 15" | 93" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Black Forest, CO | 16° | 81° | 20" | 121" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Hailey, ID | 10° | 84° | 14" | 102" |
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 Elk Mountain averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Elk Mountain compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elk Mountain’s place among Wyoming’s.
Elk Mountain weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elk Mountain’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elk Mtn, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 13° | 0.8" | 9.0" | 5 | 17° – 30° |
| February | 35° | 14° | 1.0" | 15.1" | 5 | 19° – 30° |
| March | 44° | 21° | 1.4" | 13.2" | 6 | 25° – 39° |
| April | 52° | 27° | 1.8" | 17.0" | 8 | 33° – 45° |
| May | 62° | 35° | 2.0" | 5.1" | 7 | 43° – 53° |
| June | 73° | 43° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 52° – 62° |
| July | 81° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 59° – 70° |
| August | 79° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 70° | 39° | 1.3" | 0.4" | 4 | 49° – 59° |
| October | 56° | 29° | 1.4" | 11.6" | 5 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 42° | 21° | 1.1" | 9.4" | 5 | 20° – 39° |
| December | 33° | 13° | 0.9" | 12.5" | 6 | 17° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 29° | 14.6" | 93.3" | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Elk Mountain’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 Elk Mountain’s center.
- Snow: Elk Mtn, WY (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elk Mtn, WY, 0.1 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 Elk Mountain’s climate
What is the weather like in Elk Mountain?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 93 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elk Mountain in winter?
December nights average 13°. About 198 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Elk Mountain get?
About 93 inches in a normal winter at Elk Mtn, WY, most of it in April.
How hot does it get in Elk Mountain?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 49°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Elk Mtn, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Elk Mountain?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 28 and the first fall frost by September 13, about 108 frost-free days, at Elk Mtn, WY.
What growing zone is Elk Mountain in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elk Mountain?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Elk Mountain getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elk Mountain.
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.