Murie Ranch Historic District · Photo: National Park Service inventory · Public domainKelly gets about 166 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 39 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 166 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Kelly at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kelly’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kelly’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Kelly feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 70 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 20 and the first by August 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Moose, WY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kelly’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 166 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Moose, WY, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kelly
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Moose, WY.
Living with Kelly’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
70 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by Jun 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Aug 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kelly from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (87%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kelly and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Kelly yet.
Climates most like Kelly’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly, WY | 5° | 79° | 23" | 166" |
| Aspen, CO | 10° | 80° | 20" | 171" |
| Ishpeming, MI | 5° | 77° | 33" | 197" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
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 Kelly averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Kelly compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kelly’s place among Wyoming’s.
Kelly weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kelly’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Moose, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 5° | 2.5" | 40.5" | 16 | 31 | 9° – 23° |
| February | 32° | 7° | 2.2" | 28.4" | 15 | 29 | 13° – 26° |
| March | 40° | 15° | 1.9" | 19.5" | 12 | 30 | 22° – 34° |
| April | 49° | 23° | 1.9" | 9.8" | 10 | 15 | 29° – 40° |
| May | 60° | 32° | 2.1" | 0.9" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| June | 69° | 38° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| July | 79° | 43° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 67° |
| August | 78° | 41° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| September | 68° | 34° | 1.6" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| October | 53° | 25° | 1.8" | 4.2" | 9 | 2 | 31° – 45° |
| November | 37° | 15° | 2.2" | 18.2" | 10 | 16 | 18° – 33° |
| December | 27° | 6° | 2.8" | 44.1" | 16 | 30 | 11° – 21° |
| Year | 51° | 24° | 22.9" | 165.9" | 137 | 154 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 67°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Kelly’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 Kelly’s center.
- Snow: Moose, WY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Moose, WY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower; 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 Kelly’s climate
What is the weather like in Kelly?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 166 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kelly in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 244 nights a year reach 32° or below and 49 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Kelly get?
About 166 inches in a normal winter at Moose, WY, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 154 days a year.
How hot does it get in Kelly?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 43°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Moose, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Kelly?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 20 and the first fall frost by August 31, about 70 frost-free days, at Moose, WY.
What growing zone is Kelly in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kelly?
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 Kelly getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kelly.
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.