Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Midwest: 13 inches a year
July afternoons average 88°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 88% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit June and September, with highs of 76–79°.
A year in Midwest at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Midwest’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Midwest’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Midwest feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Midwest, WY, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Midwest’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Midwest, WY, falls mostly in February, March and December. 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 58 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Midwest
95% 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 Midwest, WY.
Living with Midwest’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 22 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Midwest from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Midwest and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Midwest yet.
Climates most like Midwest’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest, WY | 14° | 88° | 13" | 46" |
| Laurel, MT | 15° | 88° | 14" | 48" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 41" |
| Carbondale, CO | 11° | 88° | 13" | 39" |
| Preston, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
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 Midwest averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller 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 Midwest compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Midwest’s place among Wyoming’s.
Midwest weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Midwest’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Midwest, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 14° | 0.3" | 5.0" | 4 | 15 | 18° – 33° |
| February | 39° | 16° | 0.5" | 8.3" | 4 | 13 | 13° – 36° |
| March | 49° | 23° | 0.8" | 7.7" | 5 | 6 | 25° – 44° |
| April | 57° | 29° | 1.5" | 5.7" | 6 | 3 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 38° | 2.5" | 0.7" | 8 | 1 | 44° – 59° |
| June | 79° | 47° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| July | 88° | 54° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 87° | 52° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 76° | 43° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 31° | 1.2" | 4.1" | 5 | 2 | 37° – 52° |
| November | 47° | 22° | 0.5" | 6.6" | 4 | 6 | 19° – 43° |
| December | 37° | 14° | 0.5" | 7.5" | 4 | 16 | 17° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 32° | 12.5" | 45.9" | 58 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Midwest’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 Midwest’s center.
- Snow: Midwest, WY (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Midwest, WY, 0.2 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 Midwest’s climate
What is the weather like in Midwest?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Midwest in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 187 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 18°.
How much snow does Midwest get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Midwest, WY, most of it in February, March and December, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Midwest?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 54°. About 37 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Midwest, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Midwest?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 121 frost-free days, at Midwest, WY.
What growing zone is Midwest in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Midwest?
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 Midwest getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Midwest.
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.