Photo: Runner1928 · CC BY-SA 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Lusk than on 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 85° on average. In January, nights here are colder than in 91% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.6°, most of all in January. If you like long walks, June and September offer highs of 75–77°.
A year in Lusk at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lusk’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lusk’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Lusk feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lusk 2 Sw, WY, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lusk’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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Torrington 29n, WY, is heaviest from March 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 80 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lusk
96% 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 Lusk 2 Sw, WY.
Living with Lusk’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 23 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lusk from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lusk and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lusk yet.
Climates most like Lusk’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lusk, WY | 12° | 85° | 16" | 53" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Great Falls, MT | 13° | 84° | 13" | 66" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Rigby, ID | 12° | 85° | 12" | 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 Lusk averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Lusk compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lusk’s place among Wyoming’s.
Lusk weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lusk’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Torrington 29n, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 12° | 0.4" | 5.1" | 5 | 12 | 18° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.7" | 6.7" | 5 | 9 | 16° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 21° | 1.0" | 9.1" | 6 | 7 | 23° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 28° | 2.0" | 9.0" | 8 | 4 | 35° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 37° | 2.9" | 3.5" | 11 | 1 | 44° – 57° |
| June | 77° | 47° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 54° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| August | 85° | 51° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 42° | 1.3" | 1.1" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 30° | 1.4" | 4.3" | 6 | 2 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 46° | 20° | 0.6" | 6.4" | 4 | 5 | 20° – 41° |
| December | 37° | 12° | 0.6" | 7.9" | 5 | 11 | 16° – 30° |
| Year | 59° | 31° | 16.3" | 53.1" | 80 | 52 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lusk’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 Lusk’s center.
- Snow: Torrington 29n, WY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lusk 2 Sw, WY, 1.4 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 Lusk’s climate
What is the weather like in Lusk?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lusk in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 193 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Lusk get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at Torrington 29n, WY, heaviest from March through April, about 9 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 52 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lusk?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 54°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Lusk 2 Sw, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Lusk?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 119 frost-free days, at Lusk 2 Sw, WY.
What growing zone is Lusk 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 Lusk?
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 Lusk getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lusk.
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.