Gillette City Hall (1936) · Photo: Mr. Satterly · CC0Gillette’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Gillette at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gillette’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gillette’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Gillette 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 15 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gillette 4se, WY, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gillette’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 56 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gillette 4se, WY, is heaviest from February through April, about 9 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gillette
93% 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 Gillette 4se, WY.
Living with Gillette’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 15 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 33 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 37% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gillette from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gillette and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gillette yet.
Climates most like Gillette’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Rigby, ID | 12° | 85° | 12" | 66" |
| Great Falls, MT | 13° | 84° | 13" | 66" |
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 Gillette averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Gillette compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gillette’s place among Wyoming’s.
Gillette weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gillette’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gillette 4se, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 13° | 0.5" | 8.2" | 8 | 16 | 15° – 35° |
| February | 36° | 14° | 0.6" | 9.0" | 8 | 14 | 11° – 35° |
| March | 47° | 23° | 1.0" | 8.6" | 8 | 8 | 23° – 45° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.9" | 9.4" | 11 | 4 | 35° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 3.0" | 1.3" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 76° | 48° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| July | 86° | 55° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 53° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 1.1" | 0.5" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 32° | 1.5" | 4.4" | 8 | 2 | 36° – 51° |
| November | 45° | 21° | 0.6" | 5.8" | 6 | 7 | 21° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 14° | 0.5" | 8.4" | 7 | 14 | 14° – 30° |
| Year | 58° | 32° | 15.7" | 55.7" | 100 | 66 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Gillette’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 Gillette’s center.
- Snow: Gillette 4se, WY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gillette 4se, WY, 2.5 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 Gillette’s climate
What is the weather like in Gillette?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 56 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gillette in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Gillette get?
About 56 inches in a normal winter at Gillette 4se, WY, heaviest from February through April, about 9 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 66 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gillette?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 55°. About 28 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Gillette 4se, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Gillette?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 136 frost-free days, at Gillette 4se, WY.
What growing zone is Gillette in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gillette?
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 Gillette getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gillette.
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.